Centner interviewed Rebekah Sams, who was stranded making her way to a volleyball tournament. Sams described snow blowing amid a complete standstill and said, “You never imagine yourself being out here for five hours during a snowstorm.”
In Washington, the federal government closed its offices at noon Friday, and all mass transit was shutting down through Sunday. President Barack Obama, hunkering down at the White House, was one of many who stayed home.
“Find a safe place and stay there,” Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser implored residents and visitors alike.
About 7,600 flights were canceled Friday and Saturday — about 15 percent of the airlines’ schedules, according to the flight tracking service FlightAware. They hope to be fully back in business by Sunday afternoon.
One of the unlucky travelers stranded by the storm was Jennifer Bremer of Raleigh, North Carolina. Bremer flew into Chicago on Thursday morning, carrying only a briefcase, for what she thought would be less than a day of meetings. Her flight home was canceled Thursday night, and then again Friday.
“I have my computer, my phone and a really good book, but no clothing,” Bremer said as she eyed flight boards at O’Hare International Airport on Friday. “I have a travel agent right now trying to get creative. I’m waiting on a phone call from her. … I’m trying to get somewhere near the East Coast where I can drive in tonight or early tomorrow morning.”
Not so unhappy to be stranded were passengers on a cruise ship that was supposed to return to the port of Baltimore from the Bahamas on Sunday. The arrival has now been delayed until at least Monday because of the storm.
“I was not totally surprised and, frankly, happy to be delayed,” Meg Ryan, one of the passengers aboard the Royal Caribbean International’s Grandeur of the Seas, wrote in an email to The Associated Press.
“First, it is an extra day of vacation, but more importantly, safety comes first and travel Sunday would be difficult, if not impossible.”
Forecasters said as much as 2 feet or more of snowfall was forecast for Baltimore and Washington, and nearly as much for Philadelphia.
By Friday night, parts of Kentucky, the Virginias and North Carolina had already received well over a foot of snow, while more than a half a foot had fallen in some areas of Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Tennessee.
The snowstorm was greeted happily at Virginia’s ski resorts.
“We’re thrilled,” said Hank Thiess, general manager at Wintergreen ski resort in central Virginia. “Going forward, we’re set up to have just a terrific second half of the ski season.”
He said he’s expecting 40 inches of dry, powdery snow, perfect for skiing.
“We’re going to have a packed snow surface that will just be outstanding,” he said.
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Borenstein reported from Kensington, Maryland. Associated Press writers Juliet Linderman in Baltimore; Adrian Sainz in Memphis, Tennessee; John Raby in Charleston, West Virginia; and AP Airlines Writer Scott Mayerowitz in New York contributed to this report.
Article Appeared @http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/nation/2016/01/23/millions-hunker-snowstorm/79221994/