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Over 4,000 flights canceled as blizzard approaches U.S. Northeast

Xinhua, January 27, 2015 Adjust font size:

More than 4,000 flights were canceled Monday as a potentially historic snowstorm is going to sweep across the U.S. Northeast and dump up to 3 feet (90 centimeters) of snow in the coming day.

The U.S. National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning for New York City and surrounding areas between coastal New Jersey and Connecticut, beginning 1 p.m. EST (1800 GMT) Monday and worsening overnight into Tuesday morning. And winter storms warning are in effect for West Virginia, Maryland as well as much of interior New England, it said.

The storm would bring up to 3 feet (90 centimeters) of snow and powerful winds for a 250-mile (400-kilometer) stretch of the Northeast, including New York and Boston, it said.

The flight tracking site FlightAware said airlines canceled 4, 360 flights into and out of East Coast airports from Monday to Tuesday. United Airline, the nation's second-busiest carrier, said it would halt all of its Tuesday operations at several busiest airports in the storm-hit regions. US Airways also planned to halt Tuesday operations at certain airports in the region.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has warned the snowstorm would be the biggest "in the history of this city," calling on residents to "prepare for the worst" and leave work early Monday.

In the city of Boston and Philadelphia, snowfall is expected at 18 to 24 inches (45 to 60 centimeters) and 14 to 18 inches (35 to 45 centimeters), the weather service said. The Washington area is expected to get a coating or a bit more.

In the State of Connecticut, Governor Daniel Malloy issued a travel ban for the entire state beginning at 9:00 p.m. EST on Monday (0200 GMT Tuesday). The state's largest utility also warned possible electrical outages during the storm which could bring more than two feet (60 centimeters) of snow.

President Barack Obama, who was on a foreign visit, has been briefed on the storm, spokesman Josh Earnest said Monday. White House officials also have been in touch with officials from states of the eastern seaboard which are in the storm's path, he said. Endite