Storm dumps snow and ice on northeast, mid-Atlantic

Another winter storm moved out into the Atlantic after bringing snow, ice and freezing rain to the northeast and mid-Atlantic states. The storm brought power outages and road closures, CNN reported. More than 2,700 flights were canceled. In New York State, Gov. Andrew Cuomo closed Interstate 84, which crosses the southeast corner of the state from Port Jervis on the Delaware River to the Connecticut line at Brewster. Cuomo declared a state of emergency for the whole state and urged residents to avoid going out unnecessarily. "New Yorkers in affected regions should stay off the roads, check on their neighbors and loved ones, and stay inside their homes until the worst of the storm has passed," Cuomo said. In the Philadelphia area, icy conditions brought down power lines, leaving thousands without electricity. Villanova University in the suburbs announced it was canceling classes for the rest of the week after being advised power might be out for several days. In New Jersey, the northern part of the state got snow, while the south was hit by ice, the (Newark) Star-Ledger reported. In Mercer and Burlington counties to the south, an estimated 20,000 homes and businesses lost electricity. In Maine, the Portland area got up to a foot of snow, the Portland Press Herald reported. In the city, 8.7 inches fell Wednesday, giving the city a total of 53 inches for the winter so far, 16.7 inches more than the average through Feb. 5. Debbie Collins of Freeport told the Press Herald this storm was well-timed for her husband, who operates a private snowplow. The storm did not start in earnest until most commuters had left for work, allowing Walter Collins to run his plow without dealing with heavy traffic or parked cars.