Storm Blog

Eric W. Schoen, press secretary for the Yonkers Public Schools, has notified us that all school activities are canceled for today and tomorrow.

Also, the storm is affecting Ballot Week. “Due to today’s inclement weather, ballots for students currently registered in the Yonkers Public Schools will be accepted until the close of business on Monday, March 19,” he wrote.

Photographer Carucha Meuse took this atmospheric photo today of Hendrick Hudson High School in Buchanan.

The private plane that slid off the runway this morning at Westchester County Airport was “returning from Bermuda”:http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070316/UPDATE/703160449, Caren Halbfinger reports.

The incident has delayed flights for hundreds of passengers as airport workers endeavor to free the plane from the mud where it has become stuck. Most arrivals have been canceled and no flights are scheduled to depart before 1 p.m.

Reporter Lisa Ganga checked in on how people are doing in northern Westchester County, and has this report:

In North Castle, people’s reaction to the snow depended on whether they had skis strapped to the top of their car.

Kuba Tatka, who works on the ski floor at Hickory & Tweed on Main Street in Armonk, said the snow is a relief after a fairly dry winter.

“A lot of people have been coming in and saying they’re getting excited that it’s snowing again,� he said.

Tatka said he is hoping to get a couple days off this week so he can head up to Stratton Mountain Resort in Vermont, where he is an instructor.

Craig Useted, the general foreman of the North Castle Highway Department, said he would prefer a nice 70 degree day.

Useted said the roads at about 11:45 p.m. were slushy but passable.

“If you’re careful you can get around,� he said. But more snow was coming.

Rockland reporter Khurram Saeed got these tips from the state Thruway Authority for drivers traveling near snowplows:

• The safest place to drive during a snowstorm is in the lane a plow has just cleared. Maintain a safe distance behind the plow; don’t tailgate.
• If you can’t see the plow’s mirrors from behind the snowplow, the snowplow operator won’t be able to see your car.
• Be mindful of the flashing arrows on the rear of a snowplow. They’re used to indicate which lane should be used for passing. Drivers should always signal their intentions. Never ride along side to keep pace.
• Drivers may encounter tandem plowing on the Thruway. Sometimes, in three or four-lane sections, two snowplows are used to clear two travel lanes at once. Never try to pass between the plows. If you must pass a plow, follow the direction provided by the flashing arrows.
• Drivers should be alert for plows waiting in the U-turn area; the snowplow operator will wait for a safe time to turn around and will accelerate to a maximum plowing speed of 35 mph.
• Drivers should watch for snowplows clearing medians, travel plazas, rest areas, toll plazas and tandem lots, and give plows plenty of room.
• In case of an emergency, breakdown or minor accident, drivers are advised not to stop within or near travel lanes. If you can, drive to the nearest exit or safe location. If your car isn’t working, activate your four-way flashers and stay inside your car until help arrives.
• In an emergency on the Thruway, drivers should call either 911 or 800-842-2233 to report the situation. Never walk along the roadway, as it is extremely dangerous.

Metro-North trains “are running on time”:http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070316/UPDATE/703160443.

We’re getting reports that a small corporate jet slid off the runway at Westchester Airport at 9:48 this morning. No injuries. Flights are currently suspended. More “here.”:http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070316/UPDATE/703160449

Photographer Vincent DiSalvio took this picture of Ray Keywork salting the sidewalk in front of his Main Street, Nyack, apartment this morning.

The storm sweeping up the coast is canceling some flights at Westchester’s airport. More info “here.”:http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070316/UPDATE/703160430

The Associated Press reports delays, as well, at the airports in New York City.

Let us know if this is affecting you.

Here’s what the wire story says:

“JetBlue canceled 215 flights Friday because of a winter storm on the East Coast, aiming to avoid the days of cancellations and criticism that followed a storm last month, an airline spokesman said.

The cancellations affected about one-third of all JetBlue flights. More than 200 of them involved flights to or from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, said airline spokesman Sebastian White.

Other airlines also reported cancellations. American Airlines had canceled about 120 flights to or from New York and other Northeastern airports as of Friday morning, said spokeswoman Sonja Whitemon. Northwest Airlines canceled about 35 flights to or from the East Coast, all but a handful of them at Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark Liberty International, spokeswoman Tracy Carlson said.

A few JetBlue flights also were affected at LaGuardia, Newark and Boston’s Logan International Airport, White said. In addition, the airline had canceled 15 flights Thursday night, he said.

Delta Air Lines also decided to cancel about 250 flights in the Northeast, from Washington to Boston, spokeswoman Gina Laughlin said. The heaviest concentration was at Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark, she said.

Those of you in the Sound Shore area of Westchester have probably been enjoying rain and sleet this morning. That’s what I got for most of my commute north to our Harrison office. But as I rounded the corner from I-95 to I-287 in Port Chester, I hit the snow line, and it’s snowing hard now at our HQ here on the hill.

I just got off the phone with Sgt. Eric Johansen of the Peekskill police, who confirms, “The roads are starting to get slippery.”

Things are expected to get worse as the day goes on. Check out the latest forecast “here.”:http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070316/UPDATE/703160429