Snow Falling in Chicago, Set for N.Y.

By Brian K. Sullivan - Jan 21, 2012 3:35 AM GMT+0700

New York may receive 4 inches of snow tomorrow while Chicago may get 8 inches today from a storm that’s causing hundreds of flight cancellations.

Visibility in Chicago dropped to a quarter of a mile as snow fell at the rate of about an inch (2.5 centimeters) an hour at midday, said Jamie Enderlen, a National Weather service meteorologist in Romeoville, Illinois. Snow will start falling in New York City overnight.

“We’re seeing moderate to heavy snow and that is going to stick around until 5 p.m.,” Enderlen said by telephone. “That stretches from Rockford to Chicago.”

At least 600 flights through O’Hare International Airport were canceled, said FlightAware, which provides airline tracking data. At Midway International, Southwest Airlines scratched all 70 flights between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Chicago time. according to the city aviation department.

Winter weather advisories and storm warnings and watches stretch from western Iowa to central Massachusetts. A weak storm passed across the eastern U.S. earlier today, leaving a snow coating in some areas.

Pacific Northwest Ice

An ice storm that struck the Pacific Northwest yesterday led to the cancellation of at least 192 outbound flights from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, FlightAware data showed.

Heavy snow across northern Oregon, Washington and Montana caused 24- to 36-hour delays on BNSF Railway Co. freight trains, according to a railroad service advisory.

Snow will start in New York late tonight, said Tim Morrin, a weather service meteorologist in Upton, New York.

“We’re anticipating enough snow to prompt a winter weather advisory for New York City,” Morrin said by telephone. “We are expecting a swath of snow to develop after midnight and continue through midday.”

Boston is forecast to receive 2 to 4 inches of snow tomorrow. Philadelphia may receive 1 to 3 inches by tomorrow, Washington and Baltimore may receive an inch of ice and Cleveland may get 3 to 5 inches of snow.

Morrin said New York’s temperatures will rise above freezing later this weekend, which may clear much of the snow from roads. Alternate side of the street parking rules were suspended in New York City for tomorrow to help snow removal.

To contact the reporter on this story: Brian K. Sullivan in Boston at bsullivan10@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Dan Stets at dstets@bloomberg.net