A storm poised to dump up to 3 feet of snow from New York City to Boston and beyond beginning Friday could be one for the record books, forecasters warned, as residents scurried to stock up on food and water and road crews readied salt and sand. 
 
 A worker walks up towards a plow smoothing a large salt pile at Eastern Salt Company in Chelsea, Mass., Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013, in preparation for a major winter storm headed toward the U.S. Northeast.... (Associated Press) 
 
 Kelly Pomerleau of Andover Small Engine Service repairs a snow blower for a customer in Andover, Mass., Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013, in preparation for a major winter storm headed toward the U.S. Northeast.... (Associated Press) 
 
 Municipal trucks fill up with salt, Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2013 in Portsmouth, N.H. as the Northeast prepares for a snowstorm later this week. The National Weather Service says the snow will start falling... (Associated Press) 
 
 This image made available by NOAA shows storm systems over the eastern half of the United States on Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013 at 11:15 EST. A blizzard of potentially historic proportions threatened to strike... (Associated Press) 
 
 Chris Oppenberg of Andover Small Engine Service assembles a home generator for a customer in Andover, Mass., Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013, in preparation for a major winter storm headed toward the U.S. Northeast.... (Associated Press) 
 
 A pair of storms will combine off the Northeast coast, bringing heavy snow and strong winds throughout New England. Another storm will move into the West, bringing rain and high elevation snow from California... (Associated Press) 
 
 Before the first snowflake had fallen, Boston, Providence, R.I., Hartford, Conn., and other towns and cities in New England and upstate New York towns canceled school Friday, and airlines scratched more than 2,600 flights through Saturday, with the disruptions from the blizzard certain to ripple across the U.S. 
 
 "This one doesn't come along every day. This is going to be a dangerous winter storm," said Alan Dunham, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Taunton, Mass. "Wherever you need to get to, get there by Friday afternoon and don't plan on leaving." 
 
 The snow began falling Friday morning in some areas, with the heaviest amounts falling at night and into Saturday. Wind gusts could reach 75 mph. Widespread power failures were feared, along with flooding in coastal areas still recovering from Superstorm Sandy in October. 
 
 Boston could get up to 3 feet of snow, while New York City was expecting 10 to 12 inches. Mayor Michael Bloomberg said plows and 250,000 tons of salt were being put on standby. To the south, Philadelphia was looking at a possible 2 to 5 inches. 
 
 "We hope forecasts are exaggerating the amount of snow, but you never can tell," Bloomberg said, adding that at least the bad weather is arriving on a weekend, when the traffic is lighter and snowplows can clean up the streets more easily. 
 
 Amtrak said its Northeast trains will stop running Friday afternoon. The organizers of New York's Fashion Week _ a closely watched series of fashion shows held under a big tent _ said they will have extra crews to help with snow removal and will turn up the heat and add an extra layer to the venue. 
 
 Blizzard warnings were posted for parts of New Jersey and New York's Long Island, as well as portions of Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut, including Hartford, New Haven, Conn., and Providence. The warnings extended into New Hampshire and Maine. 
 
 In New England, it could prove to be among the top 10 snowstorms in history, and perhaps even break Boston's record of 27.6 inches, set in 2003, forecasters said. The last major snowfall in southern New England was well over a year ago _ the Halloween storm of 2011. 
 
 Dunham said southern New England has seen less than half its normal snowfall this season, but "we're going to catch up in a heck of a hurry." He added: "Everybody's going to get plastered with snow." 
 
 Diane Lopes was among the shoppers who packed a supermarket Thursday in the coastal fishing city of Gloucester, Mass. She said she went to a different grocery earlier in the day but it was too crowded. Lopes said she has strep throat and normally wouldn't leave the house but had to stock up on basic foods _ "and lots of wine." 
 
 She chuckled at the excitement the storm was creating in a place where snow is routine. 
 
 "Why are us New Englanders so crazy, right?" she said. 
 
 At a Shaw's supermarket in Belmont, Mass., Susan Lichtenstein stocked up, with memories of a 1978 blizzard on her mind. "This is panic shopping, so bread, milk, a snow shovel in case our snow shovel breaks," she said. 
 
 In New Hampshire, Dartmouth College student Evan Diamond and other members of the ski team were getting ready for races at the Ivy League school's winter carnival. 
 
 "We're pretty excited about it because this has been an unusual winter for us," he said. "We've been going back and forth between having really solid cold snaps and then the rain washing everything away." 
 
 But he said the snow might be too much of a good thing this weekend: "For skiing, we like to have a nice hard surface, so it will be kind of tough to get the hill ready." 
 
 The governors of Connecticut and Massachusetts ordered nonessential state workers to stay home Friday and urged travelers to stay home. 
 
 Terrance Rodriguez, a doorman at a luxury apartment complex in Boston, took the forecast in stride. 
 
 "It's just another day in Boston. It's to be expected. We're in a town where it's going to snow," he said. "It's like doomsday prep. It doesn't need to be. People just take it to the extreme." 
 
 ___ 
 
 Associated Press writers Holly Ramer in Lyme, N.H., Lisa Rathke in Montpelier, Vt., Jay Lindsay in Gloucester, Mass., and Denise Lavoie, Rodrique Ngowi and Bob Salsberg in Boston contributed to this report. ||||| As snow began falling on Friday morning, local authorities from New York City to Maine were making preparations for what forecasters said could be the biggest blizzard for some cities in the Northeast in a century. 
 
 Airlines began announcing the suspension of flights out of New York and Boston airports starting Friday night, as thousands of workers readied their plows, checked their stocks of salt and braced for what will most likely be a cold, wet weekend. Amtrak announced that it would suspend northbound service out of Penn Station in New York and southbound service out of Boston beginning early Friday afternoon. 
 
 Gas stations in parts of New York City and New Jersey had long lines Thursday night, according to local residents, a signal, perhaps, that many were taking storm warnings seriously. 
 
 More than 2,200 flights for Friday had been canceled, according to the Web site FlightAware, the majority originating or departing from the areas affected by the storm. 
 
 By late Thursday night, schools across New York and Connecticut had announced they would close, or dismiss students early. 
 
 On Long Island, where some forecasts said there could be more than 18 inches of snow, the power company, which has received heavy criticism for its response to Hurricane Sandy, promised customers that they were prepared. 
 
 The city of Boston, where forecasts called for more than two feet of snow to fall by Saturday, announced that it would close all schools on Friday, joining other localities in trying to get ahead of the storm and keep people off the roads. 
 
 “We are taking this storm very seriously and you should take this storm very seriously,” said Jerome Hauer, the New York State Commissioner of the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, at an afternoon news conference. 
 
 “If you don’t have to go to work tomorrow, we suggest that you do not,” he said. “If you do, we suggest that you plan for an early departure.” 
 
 The latest forecasts, he said, called for between 12 and 20 inches of snow in the New York City region and wind gusts that could exceed 60 miles per hour. 
 
 However, with the storm still some distance away, forecasters warned that predictions could change. The first sign of the storm will be a dusting of light snow that is expected to start falling across the region Friday morning. 
 
 At some point Friday night, the arctic jet stream will drop down from Canada and intersect with the polar jet stream, which usually travels through the lower 48 states. 
 
 “They will cross somewhere between New Jersey and Nantucket,” said Tim Morrin, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service. “That is where the center of the storm will deepen and explosively develop.” 
 
 If the current models hold, the storm could rival the blizzard of 1978 in New England, when more than 27 inches of snow fell in Boston and surrounding cities. That storm, which occurred on a weekday, resulted in dozens of deaths and crippled the region for days. 
 
 Peter Judge, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, said more than 20 agencies had gathered at the agency’s operations center in Framingham, Mass., where they were preparing for a historic storm. 
 
 “From our perspective, this is a very severe, blizzard-type storm that we haven’t had for quite a long time,” Mr. Judge said. “Worst-case scenario, this will be the worst one that we’ve dealt with in many, many years. I can’t even come up with something comparable.” 
 
 Officials prepared for debris management, snow removal and supplies distribution, he said, as well as widespread power failures, which he said were the major concern. “People will lose their heat when they lose their power, and they’re certainly much more in harm’s way than at other times of the year,” he said. 
 
 Marc Santora reported from New York. Jess Bidgood and Katharine Q. Seelye contributed reporting from Boston. ||||| Story highlights Amtrak shuts down Tuesday service between New York and Boston 
 
 New York mayor: The storm "is about to start in earnest" 
 
 Massachusetts governor: "The best thing anybody can do is stay inside" 
 
 Are you in the storm's path? Please share your images with CNN iReport if you can do so safely. 
 
 (CNN) Snow is falling at a faster rate. Wind gusts are getting stronger. And temperatures are frigid. 
 
 It may not look bad yet, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said Monday night, but it will be soon. 
 
 "This is literally the calm before the storm. It's about to start in earnest," de Blasio said. "And when it does, it's going to come in very fast and very hard, and people have to be very, very careful. People have to stay off the streets and stay off the sidewalks." 
 
 The National Weather Service, which isn't prone to exaggeration, is using terms like "life-threatening" and "historic" to describe the weather system taking aim at the Northeast, with the worst expected to hit Monday night into Tuesday. 
 
 The first big storm of the year may drop up to 3 feet of snow on Boston and New York before it ends Tuesday, with freezing rain and strong wind gusts possibly reaching 70 mph. Blizzard and winter storm warnings have been issued from Maryland through Maine and into Canada. 
 
 Up to 58 million people could be put into the deep freeze. And the storm could have a far-reaching economic and political impact, even beyond the region directly hit. 
 
 The snowfall will be dramatic, but that might not be what causes the most damage, CNN meteorologist Chad Myers said. 
 
 A possible source of major problems, he said, will be large wind gusts that send tree limbs crashing down into power lines. That could leave people in some area without electricity for days, he said. 
 
 Another area of concern: roads. 
 
 "It is no joke to have people stranded on a highway. We've gone through that before," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo told reporters. "It is frightening how quickly a simple trip to the supermarket can wind up being very dangerous." 
 
 Public transportation will shut down and only emergency vehicles will be allowed on the roads in 13 counties -- and on the streets of New York City -- as of 11 p.m., he said. 
 
 Connecticut and Massachusetts also put travel bans in place. 
 
 In Philadelphia, Mayor Michael Nutter declared a snow emergency starting at 6 p.m. ET Monday. Cars left parked on snow emergency routes will be towed and owners ticketed, he said. 
 
 "It's going to be the kind of night where the best thing anybody can do is stay inside," Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said Monday evening. 
 
 Track the storm 
 
 Here's what you need to know, state-by-state 
 
 Sights and sounds of the blizzard 
 
 Spinning your wheels 
 
 While the worst of the weather isn't expected to hit until late Monday into Tuesday, according to CNN forecasters, it's already snarling travel. 
 
 Nearly 7,000 flights have been canceled for Monday and Tuesday, the flight-tracking website Flightaware.com said. And hundreds of flights have already been canceled for Wednesday as well. 
 
 American Airlines suspended operations in Philadelphia, Boston and New York late Monday afternoon. 
 
 "We plan to resume operations as soon as it is safe to do so," airline spokeswoman Andrea Huguely said. 
 
 United Airlines has already canceled all Tuesday flights at Newark, LaGuardia and JFK, as well as Boston and Philadelphia, company spokeswoman Mary Ryan said. 
 
 Delta has canceled more than 1,600 flights on Monday and Tuesday. There are no operations planned at Boston's Logan International Airport on Tuesday and "very limited flying at LaGuardia and JFK," spokesman Morgan Durrant said. Some cancellations may also be necessary Wednesday morning, he said. 
 
 The major U.S. airlines are offering fee-free rebooking of flights to and from the Northeast on Monday and Tuesday. 
 
 Amtrak said it was operating a normal Monday schedule but suspended Northeast Regional and Acela Express service between New York and Boston for Tuesday because of severe weather. 
 
 Other Amtrak train routes in the region will operate at reduced frequencies, the rail line said. 
 
 Stocking up before the storm 
 
 Heavier snow will hit Monday night and continue through Tuesday, forecasters said. Some areas will still be getting snow Wednesday. 
 
 Officials across the Northeast warned residents to stock up for the storm. 
 
 Tips to prepare for the storm Government officials warned residents to fill up vehicle gas tanks, stock up on food, make sure they have enough heating fuel and to take other steps to prepare for the possibility of being stranded, possibly without power, for days. Here are more tips from the Federal Emergency Management Agency: • Make a family communications plan in case you are separated from your loved ones during the height of the storm. • Make sure to keep ventilation to the outdoors clear when using kerosene heaters. • Put off travel. But if you have to go out, keep a disaster supplies kit in your car. It should include a shovel, windshield scraper, small broom, flashlight, battery-powered radio, extra batteries, food and water, matches, a change of clothes, a pocketknife, a first aid kit and blankets. • Check antifreeze levels, battery condition, exhaust and other vehicle systems before venturing out. • Stay inside as much as possible, stay dry when you do have to go outside, and watch for signs of frostbite and hypothermia, including loss of feeling, uncontrollable shivering and disorientation. 
 
 And they did. 
 
 While shoppers lined up in supermarkets, Dorot, a nonprofit in New York, collected hundreds of bags of food and water supplies for homebound seniors, WCBS reported. 
 
 "I think I'll use some of this, especially the soup," said Norma Amigo, 93, of the Upper West Side. "I will not go out if I think it's slippery out, because I fell two weeks ago." 
 
 Christine Carew, a sales associate at Charles Street Supply in Boston, said customers have been coming into the hardware store since it opened Sunday to grab sleds, shovels, ice melt and snow brushes. 
 
 When it comes to getting ready for a massive snowfall, she said, Boston residents know what to do. 
 
 "We're more prepared for it," she said. "We know it's going to happen." 
 
 In Boston's North End, cigar bar manager David Riccio was sweeping the sidewalk Monday night, preparing for the storm to hit. 
 
 "They're making it sound really bad, so we'll see," he said. 
 
 Fleets of plows and tons of salt 
 
 New York Police Commissioner William Bratton said his force was well-prepared with a fleet of vehicles equipped with tire chains and more large SUVs capable of traversing snowy streets. 
 
 "I want everyone to understand that we are facing -- most likely -- one of the largest snowstorms in the history of this city," de Blasio said. 
 
 Just Watched De Blasio: Don't underestimate this storm replay More Videos ... De Blasio: Don't underestimate this storm 01:09 PLAY VIDEO 
 
 That's saying something. In 2006, 26.9 inches of snow fell, topping the 25.8-inches of snow that fell in December 1947. 
 
 New York state has at least 1,806 plows and more than 126,000 tons of salt to spray onto roads across the region. 
 
 The National Guard also was positioning six dozen personnel and 20 vehicles throughout the state Monday morning. 
 
 .@NWSNewYorkNY Blizzard Warning for NYC, 1PM Mon-12AM Wed morning: 20-30" of snow + wind gusts to 65mph. http://t.co/jsdLTt3RY4 #alert — NYC OEM (@nycoem) January 25, 2015 
 
 In Boston, New England Patriots fans saw their beloved football team off to the Super Bowl at a Monday morning celebration that wrapped up before the storm worsened. 
 
 Boston Mayor Martin Walsh said there was no doubt the city would be slammed, so a major effort now is making sure people are safe. That includes checking on elderly residents and working to get homeless people off the streets and into shelters, he said. 
 
 The city has 700 pieces of snow-moving equipment and 35,000 tons of salt ready, he said. 
 
 "You can't fight Mother Nature, and whatever happens throughout the course of the storm, we just have to do our best to be prepared going into it, which I think we are," Walsh said. 
 
 Northeast braces for 'historic' storm 14 photos Northeast braces for 'historic' storm 14 photos Northeast braces for 'historic' storm – People cross a street covered in snow in New York's Times Square during a snowstorm on Monday, January 26. The National Weather Service is using terms like "life-threatening" and "historic" to describe the weather system taking aim at the Northeastern United States. The worst is expected to hit Monday night. Hide Caption 1 of 14 Northeast braces for 'historic' storm 14 photos Northeast braces for 'historic' storm – As the snow moves in, residents pick up some last-minute items at King's Highway Stop & Shop in New Bedford, Massachusetts, on January 26. Hide Caption 2 of 14 Northeast braces for 'historic' storm 14 photos People walk near Penn Station on New York's Seventh Avenue while a major snowstorm begins on January 26. Hide Caption 3 of 14 Northeast braces for 'historic' storm 14 photos A tugboat sails on the East River in New York on January 26. Hide Caption 4 of 14 Northeast braces for 'historic' storm 14 photos Travelers wait for their train platform to be announced at New York's Penn Station on January 26. Hide Caption 5 of 14 Northeast braces for 'historic' storm 14 photos The New York skyline is seen from Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey, on January 26. Hide Caption 6 of 14 Northeast braces for 'historic' storm 14 photos Snow falls on pedestrians in New York on January 26. Hide Caption 7 of 14 Northeast braces for 'historic' storm 14 photos A plane is de-iced at New York's LaGuardia Airport on January 26. Thousands of flights have already been canceled in anticipation of the storm. Hide Caption 8 of 14 Northeast braces for 'historic' storm 14 photos A man buys a shovel in Winthrop, Massachusetts, on January 26. Hide Caption 9 of 14 Northeast braces for 'historic' storm 14 photos Commuters travel across the Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge into downtown Boston on January 26. Hide Caption 10 of 14 Northeast braces for 'historic' storm 14 photos A cyclist in New York navigates between parked cars and a sanitation truck with a snow plow on it on January 26. Hide Caption 11 of 14 Northeast braces for 'historic' storm 14 photos Passengers talk with a ticket agent at LaGuardia Airport to try to beat the snowstorm on January 26. Hide Caption 12 of 14 Northeast braces for 'historic' storm 14 photos Traffic moves through falling snow near Evans City, Pennsylvania, on January 26. Hide Caption 13 of 14 Northeast braces for 'historic' storm 14 photos A New York City snowplow, loaded with salt, sits in midtown Manhattan as light snow falls on January 26. Hide Caption 14 of 14 EXPAND GALLERY 
 
 Hunkering down 
 
 On Plum Island, Massachusetts, Bob Connors said he'll try to ride out the storm but will move to higher ground if things get dicey, according to CNN affiliate WHDH. A 2013 storm destroyed homes on the island. 
 
 "When you're living on the edge of paradise like we are now, you give Mother Nature a lot of respect when we need to," said Connors. 
 
 Visibility will be a major problem, said CNN meteorologist Judson Jones. 
 
 "This is not one of those storms you want to go out in while it's happening," Jones said. "You want to wait for the winds to die down ... before you go to the store." 
 
 Blizzard Watch issued for RI to be in effect Mon night to Tues night due to predicted snow accumulations of 18-24" http://t.co/v1635ezsLy — Rhode Island EMA (@RhodeIslandEMA) January 25, 2015 
 
 Tuesday is shaping up to be a day when the reality of the weather sets in. 
 
 One of the inevitable aftereffects of snow -- flooding -- will quickly become a problem. 
 
 There could be coastal flooding in Massachusetts starting early Tuesday, with pockets of major flooding on east-facing coastlines, the state emergency agency said. 
 
 "Plan to work from home is the best advice for Tuesday," Jones said. ||||| A blizzard of potentially historic proportions threatened to strike the Northeast with a vengeance Friday, with 1 to 2 feet of snow feared along the densely populated Interstate 95 corridor from the New York City area to Boston and beyond. 
 
 Kelly Pomerleau of Andover Small Engine Service repairs a snow blower for a customer in Andover, Mass., Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013, in preparation for a major winter storm headed toward the U.S. Northeast.... (Associated Press) 
 
 Municipal trucks fill up with salt, Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2013 in Portsmouth, N.H. as the Northeast prepares for a snowstorm later this week. The National Weather Service says the snow will start falling... (Associated Press) 
 
 Chris Oppenberg of Andover Small Engine Service assembles a home generator for a customer in Andover, Mass., Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013, in preparation for a major winter storm headed toward the U.S. Northeast.... (Associated Press) 
 
 A pair of storms will combine off the Northeast coast, bringing heavy snow and strong winds throughout New England. Another storm will move into the West, bringing rain and high elevation snow from California... (Associated Press) 
 
 From Pennsylvania to Maine, people rushed to stock up on food, shovels and other supplies, and road crews readied salt and sand, halfway through what had been a merciful winter. Boston, Providence, R.I., Hartford, Conn., and other New England cities called off school on Friday, and airlines canceled more than 1,700 flights, with the disruptions certain to ripple across the U.S. 
 
 Forecasters said this could one for the record books. 
 
 "This one doesn't come along every day. This is going to be a dangerous winter storm," said Alan Dunham, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Taunton, Mass. "Wherever you need to get to, get there by Friday afternoon and don't plan on leaving." 
 
 The snow is expected to start Friday morning, with the heaviest amounts falling at night and into Saturday. Wind gusts could reach 65 mph. Widespread power failures were feared, along with flooding in coastal areas still recovering from Superstorm Sandy in October. 
 
 Boston could get more than 2 feet of snow, while New York City was expecting 10 to 14 inches. Mayor Michael Bloomberg said plows and 250,000 tons of salt were being put on standby. 
 
 "We hope forecasts are exaggerating the amount of snow, but you never can tell," Bloomberg said, adding that at least the bad weather is arriving on a weekend, when the traffic is lighter and snowplows can clean up the streets more easily. 
 
 Amtrak said its Northeast trains will stop running Friday afternoon. The organizers of New York's Fashion Week _ a closely watched series of fashion shows held under a big tent _ said they will have extra crews to help with snow removal and will turn up the heat and add an extra layer to the venue. 
 
 Blizzard warnings were posted for parts of New Jersey and New York's Long Island, as well as portions of Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut, including Hartford, New Haven, Conn., and Providence. The warnings extended into New Hampshire and Maine. 
 
 In New England, it could prove to be among the top 10 snowstorms in history, and perhaps even break Boston's record of 27.6 inches, set in 2003, forecasters said. The last major snowfall in southern New England was well over a year ago _ the Halloween storm of 2011. 
 
 Dunham said southern New England has seen less than half its normal snowfall this season, but "we're going to catch up in a heck of a hurry." He added: "Everybody's going to get plastered with snow." 
 
 Diane Lopes was among the shoppers who packed a supermarket Thursday in the coastal fishing city of Gloucester, Mass. She said she went to a different grocery earlier in the day but it was too crowded. Lopes said she has strep throat and normally wouldn't leave the house but had to stock up on basic foods _ "and lots of wine." 
 
 She chuckled at the excitement the storm was creating in a place where snow is routine. 
 
 "Why are us New Englanders so crazy, right?" she said. 
 
 At a Shaw's supermarket in Belmont, Mass., Susan Lichtenstein stocked up, with memories of a 1978 blizzard on her mind. "This is panic shopping, so bread, milk, a snow shovel in case our snow shovel breaks," she said. 
 
 In New Hampshire, Dartmouth College student Evan Diamond and other members of the ski team were getting ready for races at the Ivy League school's winter carnival. 
 
 "We're pretty excited about it because this has been an unusual winter for us," he said. "We've been going back and forth between having really solid cold snaps and then the rain washing everything away." 
 
 But he said the snow might be too much of a good thing this weekend: "For skiing, we like to have a nice hard surface, so it will be kind of tough to get the hill ready." 
 
 Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick ordered non-emergency state employees to work from home on Friday and urged private employers to do the same. 
 
 Terrance Rodriguez, a doorman at a luxury apartment complex in Boston, took the forecast in stride. 
 
 "It's just another day in Boston. It's to be expected. We're in a town where it's going to snow," he said. "It's like doomsday prep. It doesn't need to be. People just take it to the extreme." 
 
 ___ 
 
 Associated Press writers Holly Ramer in Lyme, N.H., Lisa Rathke in Montpelier, Vt., Jay Lindsay in Gloucester, Mass., and Denise Lavoie, Rodrique Ngowi and Bob Salsberg in Boston contributed to this report. ||||| Story highlights Midnight, Friday's midday high tides could produce coastal flooding in Massachusetts 
 
 Website: Over 2,200 U.S. flights are canceled Thursday; about 1,000 so far Friday 
 
 Parts of New York, Massachusetts and Maine are under blizzard warnings 
 
 In addition to the snow and wind, frigid temperatures are a major concern 
 
 An onslaught of fast-falling snow, whipping winds and bitter cold socked parts of the Northeast on Thursday, spurring a slew of travel woes, highway closures and worries that the headaches will only get worse as temperatures fall further. 
 
 This kind of weather, this time of year, in this region is nothing new: Connecticut's governor, for instance, noted the snow totals won't come close to the 40 inches that buried parts of his state last February. 
 
 At the same time, by Thursday night, it was already causing a mess -- whether you were waiting at an airport, had skidded off a road or were stuck at home hoping that your lights and perhaps your heat wouldn't suddenly stop working. 
 
 "Mother Nature has come to wish us happy new year," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. 
 
 The nor'easter, forming off the East Coast of the United States, prompted blizzard warnings from Thursday into Friday for New York's Long Island, Cape Cod, Massachusetts' South and North Shores, plus communities along Maine's coast. Boston, for example, was already getting buried by snow late Thursday afternoon. 
 
 About one-third of the nation, approximately 100 million people in 22 states, was in the path of the storm, which was expected to be at its fiercest between 8 p.m. Thursday and 10 a.m. Friday, according to CNN meteorologist Dave Hennen. 
 
 The complicated storm system "will raise havoc" this week, dumping a foot of snow and spreading subzero wind chills across parts of the region, the National Weather Service warned. 
 
 "Falling and blowing snow with strong winds and poor visibilities are likely," the Weather Service said . "This will lead to whiteout conditions making travel extremely dangerous. Do not travel." 
 
 Across the country, the nasty weather has snarled travel plans for many. 
 
 More than 2,200 U.S. flights had been canceled as of 10:45 p.m. Thursday, reported FlightAware.com , which tracks cancellations due to weather and mechanical problems. It's not like things will suddenly clear up: the same website reports that some 1,000 flights already have been canceled in advance for Friday. 
 
 Thursday's most affected airport was Chicago's O'Hare, with more than 650 cancellations in and out and about the same number of delays. Newark's Liberty International Airport, New York's LaGuardia and Cleveland's Hopkins also were affected. 
 
 American, US Airways, United, Many airlines are allowing passengers to make fee-free itinerary changes for destinations expected to be affected by winter storms. Delta Southwest/AirTran and JetBlue have all posted weather advisories on their websites. 
 
 Inside some airports, would-have-been travelers scrambled to rearrange flights or find a place to stay knowing that some things were out of their control. 
 
 "The warning has been coming for a couple of days, so we expected it," a man from South Carolina said from Boston's Logan Airport, as he headed with his family to a hotel and, hopefully, a Boston Bruins game knowing they couldn't fly, reported CNN affiliate WCVB . "We are stuck, we'll make the best of it." 
 
 Brenda Kopytko is luckily home in South Windsor, Connecticut, having ventured out into the snow earlier. A New England winter veteran, she's taking it in stride -- "This is nothing" -- if not the possibility of strong winds and power outages, particularly after being in the dark for nine days after last winter's storm. 
 
 "Once the winds start going and the branches start snapping, then I get a little nervous," Kopytko said. 
 
 Here's a breakdown of what to expect where: 
 
 New York and Long Island 
 
 As of Thursday night, New York City was under a winter storm warning, as were many other densely populated areas in seven other states. 
 
 The city of 8 million people could get 9 inches of snow, subzero wind chills and turbulent winds, forecasters said. 
 
 New York City is expecting to see 6 to 12 inches of snow overnight, with more possible on Long Island, where Nassau and Suffolk counties will be under a blizzard warning until 1 p.m. Friday, with predictions of 8 to 10 inches of snow, wind chills as low as 10 below zero and sustained winds of at least 35 mph. 
 
 Bitter cold will follow, with temperatures in the single digits by Saturday morning. 
 
 Upstate, the capital city of Albany could get buried under 14 inches of snow, with wind chills of 15 to 25 below zero, the National Weather Service said. 
 
 Cuomo declared a state of emergency for all of New York shortly after 3:45 p.m. Thursday, one of several steps taken to try to minimize the wild wintry weather's toll. 
 
 Among them is shutting down parts of Interstate 84, an east-west highway that goes from Connecticut to Pennsylvania, to commercial vehicles late Thursday afternoon, with nearby I-87 south of Albany closing at midnight. 
 
 That's the same time the Long Island Expressway -- in a different part of the state -- will close to traffic at the border between Nassau County and the Queens borough of New York. The hope is to reopen all these roads around 5 a.m., though that timing is very much subject to change. 
 
 "We'll make sure no one is in a state of danger on those roads," said Cuomo. 
 
 Massachusetts 
 
 By Friday night, Boston is expected to be covered by 10 to 18 inches of snow, about twice the amount forecast just one day ago, and shivering in temperatures as low as 6 degrees below zero. 
 
 Citing likely "near blizzard" conditions Thursday night into late Friday morning, the state's emergency management agency warned that some areas could be hit hard -- including up to two feet of snow on parts of the North Shore and South Shore, as well as Cape Cod. 
 
 The forecast was so bad for Boston that the city canceled school for Friday two days in advance, with scores of other school districts quickly following suit. 
 
 "I guess Mother Nature wanted to give me one more gift," Mayor Thomas Menino told reporters Thursday in one of his last days in the job he has held since 1993. 
 
 "Take precautions and take public transportation and take care of one another," he urged. But, he added, the city was doing its part, with 700 pieces of equipment on city streets. "Our team is ready," he said. 
 
 The combination of extreme cold, snow and strong winds had officials at homeless shelters preparing. 
 
 "Our main emphasis is getting people inside, where it is safer and warmer," said Jennifer Harris, a spokeswoman for the Pine Street Inn shelter system in Boston, where a snow emergency has been declared. "Pine Street Inn is making sure to have extra staff and food and water. We are geared up to provide to a greater number of people." 
 
 Blizzard warnings haven't been issued for Boston itself, but are in effect for parts of nearby Essex and Plymouth counties -- including the communities of Gloucester, Brockton and Plymouth -- as well as the Cape. 
 
 Because of the storm, the state Emergency Management Agency warned that the midnight and Friday midday high tides could produce "significant flooding" along the coast. To this point, the towns of Scituate and Duxbury requested voluntary evacuations for residents of certain low-lying areas. 
 
 Connecticut 
 
 Wind chills in parts of Connecticut are expected to range from -5 to -20 degrees Thursday night and Friday; the National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings for most of the state through Friday morning. 
 
 Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy urged residents to take it slow and give themselves extra time for their commutes Thursday and Friday. He said he expects there will be delays, but not cancellations, in public transit. 
 
 Addressing reporters, Malloy said the worst time for the state would be overnight -- between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., when there could be blizzard conditions. Still, the storm's impact could linger well beyond that if roads are blocked or the electricity goes out. 
 
 He acknowledged that this kind of weather is hardly unprecedented in Connecticut this time of year. Still, the governor added, what sets this system apart is the frigid temperatures forecast for the coming days. 
 
 That's a big concern throughout the region, especially for the homeless and people stranded -- whether along a road or inside without adequate heat or power -- by the bad weather. 
 
 "(This) is not a big New England storm, but it is a particularly cold New England storm," Malloy said. 
 
 Chicago and points beyond 
 
 Seven to 11 inches of snow were possible Thursday in Chicago, according to the National Weather Service. Windy City residents will feel frigid temps -- wind chills during the day Friday will creep down to minus 12 -- and emergency director Gary Schenkel said more snow is possible later in the week. 
 
 Though snow in Chicago in the winter is a common event, it "can still wreak havoc on daily routines," he noted. 
 
 Next week could be no better for some U.S. residents. 
 
 A new shot of colder air will start to move into the northern Midwest by Saturday and will dive south Monday and Tuesday, carrying zero-degree cold as far south as Nashville. "That's the coldest air we've seen that far south in several years," said Hennen, the CNN meteorologist. 
 
 The cold air will kick off a new storm Sunday into Monday that could affect a number of high-profile NFL playoff games this weekend. 
 
 In Wisconsin, the Green Bay Packers will give a cold welcome to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, when temperatures could bottom out at -17. 
 
 But it will be relatively balmy Sunday in Cincinnati, where snow and rain are possible when the city's Bengals host the San Diego Chargers in another NFL playoff matchup. 
 
 Of course, while the players might not have a choice, fans don't have to brave the cold for either game. The big worries are for those who travel in the coming days. Authorities in New York, for example, said they may shut the Long Island Expressway if whiteout conditions make driving along the east-west highway too perilous. 
 
 Kevin Willims isn't taking any chances, nor is he predicting a world-ending storm. The New Yorker said he plans to sit tight and let Mother Nature do her thing. 
 
 "There's not much you can do," Willims said. "When it's snowing and these streets lock up, there's really nowhere you can go, so it's best to just stay in." 
 
 That sentiment was echoed by James Montford, who told CNN Boston affiliate WHDH that he is looking forward to creating some art in the comforts of home. 
 
 "This a great day to kind of hunker down," Montford said. ||||| Two storms — one moving in from the Great Lakes that's producing the snow there Thursday and another one moving up the East Coast — are forecast to merge near New England on Friday. 
 
 People cover their faces as winds whip the snow in Boston. (Photo: Darren McCollester, Getty Images) Story Highlights The hardest-hit cities are expected to be Hartford, Providence, Boston, Worcester, Concord, Portsmouth and Portland 
 
 Boston should see at least a foot, possibly more 
 
 Numerous flight delays and cancellations are possible 
 
 With a winter storm forecast to explode into a "potentially historic" blizzard over New England and New York this weekend, tens of millions of people are bracing for travel nightmares and power outages. 
 
 The storm was getting cranked up Thursday around the Great Lakes, where 6 to 12 inches could fall in parts of Wisconsin, Michigan and New York state. 
 
 New England and New York are forecast to take the hardest hit, but others around the country could feel the ripple effect from canceled flights out of New York and other airports along the Eastern Seaboard. 
 
 The New York City metro area, home to three airports and 20 million residents in four states, is expected to see heavy snow, with as much as 12 inches possible in the metro area, according to AccuWeather meteorologist Alex Sosnowski. 
 
 The National Weather Service said in an online report that "a potentially historic winter storm and blizzard is expected to drop 1 to 2 feet of snow across much of the region," and that "travel may become near impossible at times with considerable blowing and drifting snow." 
 
 The storm isn't expected to have a major economic impact on New England, said economist David Iaia of Lexington, Mass.-based IHS Global Insight. 
 
 "If everything just shuts down for a day, the vast majority of business merely gets shifted to before the storm or after the storm," Iaia said. 
 
 Thursday afternoon, the National Weather Service issued blizzard warnings for the entire New York City metro area, Long Island, all of Connecticut and Rhode Island, eastern Massachusetts and coastal sections of New Hampshire and Maine. Some parts of New England should see more than 2 feet of snow, and some coastal areas could see hurricane-force winds of up to 74 mph, the weather service says. 
 
 Anticipating the storm's impact, every big U.S. airline has issued flexible re-booking policies. The move allowed most fliers ticketed to fly to airports in the storm's path to make one change to their flights without the standard change fees. 
 
 By late Thursday, airlines had already proactively canceled nearly 1,200 flights ahead of the storm, according to flight-tracking service FlightAware. About three-fourths 3/4 of that number came just from the three New York airports. 
 
 With such a large number of cancellations, the flight disruptions in New York and the Northeast are all but certain to ripple through airports across the nation. A flight from Houston to Los Angeles, for example, could become delayed or canceled if the aircraft or crew scheduled to fly it gets knocked off schedule because of problems in Boston or New York. 
 
 This has the potential to be a top 10 snowstorm of all time in Boston, according to the Weather Channel. A snow total of 18.2 inches or more would place it in that list. 
 
 In addition to the snow, winds and coastal flooding are also concerns: In Massachusetts, there is a chance of "ferocious sustained winds near 50 mph at the coast, with wind gusts in excess of hurricane force -- 74 mph," Weather Underground meteorologist Jeff Masters says. 
 
 He adds that the winds will push ocean water onshore, potentially causing flooding in Boston. One forecast, Masters says, shows the city could see the third-highest water level on record. 
 
 The Weather Channel, as part of its new winter storm naming system, has dubbed this storm Nemo. Neither the National Weather Service nor any other private weather agencies are using the name. 
 
 Two storms — one moving in from the Great Lakes that's producing the snow there Thursday and another one moving up the East Coast — are forecast to merge near New England on Friday, Walker says. 
 
 These storms, combined with a high pressure system over Canada that's supplying cold air, provide "a classic setup for a major winter storm across southern New England," the weather service says. 
 
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 The storm should put an end to Boston's snow drought this winter: The city has received only 10 inches of snow this winter season, according to the weather service. Typically, more than 25 inches would have fallen so far this winter. 
 
 It's actually been more than two years since Boston has seen a snowstorm of greater than 6 inches, according to Weather Channel meteorologist Jon Erdman. 
 
 In Massachusetts, about 3,000 snow-removal and salt trucks will be on the streets throughout the state during the storm, says Peter Judge, spokesman for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency. 
 
 Not everyone is panicked about the incoming storm. Ski resorts all over New England are excited about what could be the biggest snowfall of the season: "If I had a tail it would be wagging," says Stowe Mountain Resort spokesman Mike Colbourn. "Presidents' week is next week, a big nor'easter – all of the stars are in alignment." 
 
 "As far as where the big ski areas are, we are at ground zero for this storm - we are in the 24-inch band," says Bruce McCloy, director of Marketing for Mount Sunapee Resort in Newbury, N.H., "We are so excited! It's going to be awesome! How are we getting ready? We are dancing a jig, and then after that, we are getting ready. We haven't had any big storms in the past two years so this is really big." 
 
 Contributing: Ben Mutzabaugh, Natalie DiBlasio, Melanie Eversley 
 
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– The blizzard barreling toward the Northeast is still on track to bury New England and New York City later today, reports AP. The big airlines have canceled nearly 3,000 flights so far, reports CNN, and that number is only going to grow. Boston could get three feet of snow and New York City could get a foot and a half, according to the latest forecasts; both cities and other surrounding areas are bracing for the storm. Boston's Logan Airport and transit system will shut down this afternoon, the Globe reports; Amtrak and Greyhound routes between NYC and Boston are being suspended; schools have been closed; utility companies are prepping. The snow is expected to start in the morning, get heaviest at night, and continue into tomorrow morning. Weather Underground's liveblog reports that light snow has started falling in upstate New York; residents of that state and New Jersey were filling up their tanks last night, reports the New York Times, which notes this could be the biggest blizzard in a century for some areas. "This is going to be a dangerous winter storm," says a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Taunton, Mass. "Wherever you need to get to, get there by Friday afternoon and don't plan on leaving."