By Ian Simpson and Barbara Goldberg
WASHINGTON/NEW YORK
(Reuters) - An expansive winter storm bore down on the U.S. East Coast
on Monday, scuttling almost 1,600 flights, while tornadoes downed trees
and flattened homes in the South, trapping some residents in their
dwellings.
From 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm) of snow blanketed
Washington by nightfall, with less accumulation forecast for New York
City. National Weather Service meteorologist Patrick Burke said the snow
would turn into freezing rain and then rain amid rising temperatures.
"It could be pretty tricky for the morning commute on Tuesday," he said.
The
New York City Office of Emergency Management issued a travel advisory
for Monday and Tuesday, warning residents about potentially slick roads
and possible coastal flooding.
Record-breaking cold intensified
by gusting winds gripped the U.S. Northeast over the Presidents Day
holiday weekend. But temperatures on Tuesday were predicted to rise as
high as 56 degrees Fahrenheit (13 Celsius) in New York and 53F (12C) in
Washington.
On the southern edge of the cold front, Mississippi,
Alabama and the Florida Panhandle were hit by heavy rain, hail and
tornadoes.
A high school was damaged in Wesson, Mississippi, and a
fire department headquarters was destroyed in Conecuh County, Alabama,
the National Weather Service said.
In Escambia County, Florida,
about 30 homes were damaged and that number could increase as crews
assess damage in coming hours, according to Joy Tsubooka, a spokeswoman
for the county emergency agency.
Two people were taken to
hospital with minor injuries. "We've been going door to door and doing
search and rescue," Tsubooka said.
Almost 1,600 U.S. flights were
canceled, mostly at Washington, North Carolina and New York-area
airports, according to flight tracking website FlightAware.com.
The
vast storm stretched to western parts of Pennsylvania and New York,
where Buffalo was expected to get more than 12 inches of snow.
New
England ski resorts, struggling through a relatively warm and snowless
winter, may receive up to 5 inches of snow, meteorologist Burke said.
