Millions in Northeast digging out from whopper winter storm

Millions of people in the Northeast are digging out from a massive late-winter storm. More heavy snow and strong wind hit New England overnight.  

At least nine deaths were blamed on the storm as it crossed the country. Nearly a quarter-million utility customers lost power in the Northeast. Big cities like Philadelphia and New York didn;t get the large snow totals that were expected. The National Weather Service reportedly projected smaller snowfalls before the storm hit, but didn’t revise its public forecast.

Some towns still got huge amounts of snow: 30 inches in Damascus, Pennsylvania, and 31 inches in West Winfield, New York.

More than 20 inches have fallen in Albany, New York, and the danger is far from over. A big danger now is the wind chill.

Heavy snow and wind continue to batter the East Coast, leaving thousands without power, reports CBS News correspondent David Begnaud.

In parts of New York state, snow piled up steadily throughout the day Tuesday. In Binghamton, a record-breaking total of more than 30 inches fell, making travel difficult. On the New York Thruway between New York City and Albany, conditions were near white-out and the road was empty.

Raymond O’Keefe, of the National Weather Service, measured more than a foot of snow Tuesday afternoon in Albany.

“It’s been a crazy, crazy winter. Warm, 70 degrees last month, and now we’re looking at 1-and-a-half, 2 feet of snow here today in mid-March,” O’Keefe said. 

In New York City, about seven inches fell, making roads dangerous and drivers frustrated.

“The numbers that were projected occurred to the north and west of us, not here thank God,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said. 

But up to 18 inches had been predicted in cities like New York and Philadelphia.

Meteorologist Jeff Berardelli of CBS affiliate WPEC-TV said the actual path of the storm is responsible for some forecasts being wrong.

“It was about 25 miles closer to the coast that a lot of the forecasters thought it would be -- so it was able to get the warm air just a little bit farther inland, so instead of it falling as pure snow, it was a mixture of snow and rain and sleet, and that limited totals in the big cities,” Berardelli said.

Apparently, forecasters with the National Weather Service didn’t change their forecast, worried people would mistakenly think the storm was no longer dangerous. CBS News reached out to the National Weather Service but hasn’t heard back.

Meanwhile, dangerous wind whipped across Massachusetts, with near-hurricane force gusts hitting the coast. It toppled trees and power lines.

Power has been restored in Worcester, but people are still digging out after near-blizzard conditions struck the city, reports CBS News correspondent Don Dahler.

The snowfall may have been less than expected in parts of New England on Tuesday, but that didn’t stop chaotic -- and deadly -- conditions. 

On Boston’s Zakim Bridge, a tractor-trailer managed to stay upright after spinning out across several lanes. Over 800 plows worked to clear Boston’s city streets, where about half-a-foot of snow fell. John Manley, of Cambridge Public Works, said he prepared for a 36-hour shift.

“Is there anything about this particular kind of storm that makes it especially hard for you?” Dahler asked.

“Just trying to keep up with it,” Manley responded.

More than 600 electric company crews in have been working to restore power to more than 65,000 customers who lost power at the height of the storm.

In Rhode Island, a 100-foot wind turbine snapped in half.

Wind gusts nearing 80 mph pounded the New England coastline, throwing trees across roads and through rooftops.

Two more people, including a 16-year-old girl, were killed in New Hampshire and Connecticut in vehicle accidents related to the storm. Freezing temperatures overnight turned much of the rain and sleet that fell into slick ice on the roads, making for a dangerous morning commute.

As for travel, flights are taking off and landing again at airports in the Northeast. The big storm forced more than 8,900 flights to be canceled. That affected travel plans for about half a million fliers.

At New York’s LaGuardia Airport, American Airlines, the largest carrier there, will restart service at noon, reports CBS News correspondent Kris Van Cleave. Some Delta flights resumed last night at LaGuardia, and at New York City’s other major airports, John F. Kennedy International Airport and Newark.

Airport and airline officials have been working around the clock, hoping to get operations back to something resembling normal. Bulldozers were used to clear the runways and taxiways of more than seven inches of snow.

They are also bracing for another problem -- massive traffic jams, as stranded fliers return to re-book and catch new flights. On a normal day, getting to LaGuardia is already difficult because of a massive renovation project.

Amtrak will once again run trains between New York and Boston, although on a modified schedule. Service between the two cities was suspended Tuesday because of the blizzard. Whichever way you’re traveling today, expect big crowds and plan for delays.