ALBANY, N.Y. – Another severe storm walloped the East on Friday, delaying flights, closing scores of schools and causing cars to slide off roadways.
The National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings for much of upstate New York. Forecasters said areas outside Albany could get 12 to 16 inches. As much as 8 inches of snow fell in Albany by noon Friday.
Winds gusted to 30 mph in some areas along Lake Erie.
A 30-mile stretch of the New York Thruway was closed by an accident south of Buffalo, and in Maine, dozens of cars were reported off the road.
Maine State Police said the most serious accident was in York, where a man was critically injured when his pickup truck overturned on the Maine Turnpike. The storm will drop between 4 and 14 inches of snow around Maine, with sleet and rain mixing in some coastal areas.
Flights out of New York’s metropolitan-area airports were delayed by the rain and wind. Departures out of Newark Liberty International Airport flight were delayed an average of 3 1/2 hours. LaGuardia Airport had departure delays averaging over 2 hours.
Most flights were canceled Friday morning in Cleveland, though a spokeswoman said Hopkins airport remained open. She said airlines were expected to decide after 1:30 p.m. whether to resume normal operations.
Dayton’s airport shut down for about three hours Friday while slick runways were treated. Flights resumed just before 9:30 a.m.
A winter storm warning stretched across Ohio’s northern third with potential for 8 inches of snow. The Cleveland, Toledo, Akron and Canton school districts called off Friday’s classes. Zoos were closed in Toledo and Akron.
Meanwhile, drenching rain in southern Ohio submerged some roads. The National Weather Service said the region could receive more than 2 inches of rain.
