St. Pat’s storm bad luck for travelers
Another snowstorm just three days before the official start of spring threatens today’s commute in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic, with several inches of snow expected from St. Louis to Philadelphia, forecasters said.
Rain from the south will meet cold air from the Great Lakes and turn to snow and sleet in St. Louis, Louisville and Cincinnati, according to AccuWeather.com. Virginia and Maryland should get a few inches, with up to a half-foot in the mountains, AccuWeather said.
Driving conditions on slick streets are expected to be poor in Charleston, W.Va., Washington, D.C., and Baltimore. A few flakes could reach the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New York City.
“It’s the typical roller-coaster ride of March,” after warmer weekend weather, AccuWeather.com senior meteorologist Dave Dombek said. “March is notorious for huge temperature swings.”
In the Washington area, Dulles and Reagan National airports were bracing for the storm with snow-removal teams. The airports warned that flights could be canceled and urged travelers to check with airlines about specific flights.
The flight-tracking service FlightAware.com said there were 362 cancellations Sunday and another 207 for today.
The storm comes just days before astronomical spring arrives on Thursday and adds insult to injury at Northampton Community College in Bethlehem, Pa.
The school, which has about 10,000 students, canceled spring break, which was supposed to start today, after missing about a week’s worth of classes earlier in the school year because of storms, spokeswoman Heidi Butler said.
“As a small consolation,” Butler said, college President Mark Erickson arranged to have umbrellas served in cafeteria drinks so students “can pretend they’re on spring break.”