NATION
Storms bring snow, sleet, freezing rain
The latest in an unending parade of snowstorms moved over the East Coast on Saturday, dropping a wintry mix as far south as northern Georgia and potentially causing more headaches for snow-weary New England.
The National Weather Service said the storm was expected to bring six inches or more of snow to some areas in the Northeast by Sunday morning. And once it leaves, another round of bitter cold temperatures will linger across the region for most of the upcoming week.
The storm caused hassles all over: Rain and above-freezing temperatures in Tennessee prompted state emergency officials to warn of possible flash flooding from melting snow. Officials in the Washington area, where four to eight inches was expected, urged drivers to avoid unnecessary travel. Blowing snow swirled through the streets of Philadelphia and New York City.
The Federal Aviation Administration briefly issued a ground stop on Saturday to keep flights from taking off for Philadelphia International Airport because of reduced visibility and high winds, airport spokeswoman Mary Flannery said. She said about 20 percent of the flights into and out of the airport were canceled, and many others were delayed. The FAA was reporting that Logan International Airport in Boston, John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and Memphis International Airport in Tennessee also were experiencing significant delays because of the weather.
As much as eight inches of snow was possible in some inland areas of the Northeast, while areas farther south and closer to the coast were expecting a wintry mix of snow, sleet, freezing rain and rain.
The eastern United States did not have the market cornered on misery, however: A winter storm is threatening to bring two feet or more of snow to parts of Colorado by the beginning of the workweek. Heavy snow up to three inches an hour began falling Saturday on the Front Range, while in Wyoming, a 50-mile stretch of Interstate 80 between Cheyenne and Laramie was closed.
The wintry precipitation could create more issues in New England, which has been slammed by several strong storms in recent weeks — Boston has seen more than eight feet of snow. Three to six inches of fresh snow was forecast for much of New England, as well as a wintry mix including rain as temperatures climb.
— Associated Press
Federal prisoners to be moved out of facility in Texas: As many as 2,800 federal prisoners will be moved to other institutions after inmates seized control of part of a prison in South Texas, causing damage that made the facility “uninhabitable,” an official said Saturday. Ed Ross, a spokesman for the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, said the inmates who had taken control are “now compliant” but that negotiations were ongoing Saturday in an effort for staff to “regain complete control” of Willacy County Correctional Center. Sheriff Larry Spence said there were no hostages involved in the standoff and only minor injuries reported. Management & Training Corp., the private contractor that operates the center for the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, said about 2,000 inmates became disruptive Friday because they were upset with medical services and refused to perform work duties.
Police arrest man in wounding of officer in Minnesota: Minneapolis police arrested a 43-year-old man Saturday after the early morning wounding of an officer who investigators say was shot because he was a member of the police force. The man was arrested on suspicion of violating his probation, burglary and aggravated domestic assault, according to the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Any connection to the shooting early Saturday is under investigation, Assistant Police Chief Matt Clark said at an afternoon news conference. According to police, the officer and his partner had just handled a burglary and domestic assault call and were standing by their squad car at around 5 a.m. when someone shot the officer. His partner drove him to a hospital, where he was in fair condition Saturday afternoon, Clark said. The woman who made the 911 call reporting the apparent burglary and domestic assault was known to the man, according to police. “It’s clear to us that the officer was shot in response to the call,” Clark said.
— Associated Press
0 comments:
Post a Comment