March Lion Roars In Northeast

A late-winter storm lashed parts of the Northeast with icy winds and frigid temperatures Tuesday, causing hundreds of traffic accidents, closing Boston's airport, knocking out power to thousands of homes throughout the region and dumping at least 8 inches of snow in some areas.

Whiteout conditions forced authorities to close Logan International Airport Tuesday after a number of flights were canceled. Logan spokesman Phil Orlandella said the airport was able to reopen at 2:55 a.m. Wednesday, although with only one runway, because of the direction of the wind.

Boston expected to receive 6 to 8 inches of snow; western suburbs were already reporting 8 inches late Tuesday. Wind gusts over 50 mph were creating dangerous wind chills; minus 24 degree wind chills were forecast for Worcester through Wednesday morning.

Scattered power outages caused by gusty winds left about 22,000 Massachusetts homes and businesses without electricity.

Temperatures are expected to remain below freezing across the state Wednesday and another storm could be heading for Massachusetts late this week.

In Windsor Locks, Ct., Bradley Airport was forced to shut down for several hours Tuesday night because of high winds and poor visibility. Several dozen flights were canceled and others were delayed before the airport was able to reopen.

Connecticut state police received over 200 calls reporting accidents on the roads.

In New York, heavy snow hit from upstate near Albany on down to New York City and Long Island, where there were dozens of traffic accidents and at least 6,600 homes and businesses lost power.

In New Jersey, slick driving conditions caused scores of highway wrecks. "I have more accidents than I have troopers," state police Capt. Al Della Fave said.

The state remained under a wind advisory. Winds reached 61 mph hour in northwest New Jersey, and 50 mph in Atlantic City.

The wintery conditions came only a day after spring-like weather raised temperatures in the Northeast into the 60s under clear, sunny skies.

In North Carolina, a line of strong thunderstorms rumbled across the countryside with winds up to 70 mph, toppling trees, damaging buildings and cutting electrical service to tens of thousands of homes.

At one point, more than 34,000 utility customers were without power.

In Cumberland County, an estimated 23,000 chickens died when high winds blew the roofs off a pair of chicken houses, Raleigh television station WRAL reported.

A suspected tornado threw a large pine tree into a home in Wilson County, punching a hole in the roof.