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. Andrew Cuomo urged the city's commuters to leave their cars at home in case major highways are closed for Thursday's evening rush hour. Chicago could see as much as 6-8 inches of snow from late Tuesday through late Thursday, which WGN meteorologist Tom Skilling says will arrive "in waves rather than a single stretch." This includes all of New York City, where the National Weather Service is warning that the storm's strong winds will cause blowing and drifting snow later Thursday. "There will be travel problems," said Hugh Johnson, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Albany, N.Y. "It will be very cold." The storm dropped a half-foot or more of snow in Illinois on Wednesday, prompting hundreds of flight cancellations into and out of Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, according to the aviation tracking website FlightAware.com. More than 900 U.S. flights were canceled for Thursday, with O'Hare and Newark Liberty International most affected. 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. 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. 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. Lows in cities such as Philadelphia, New York and Baltimore will drop into the single digits Friday night. As much as a foot of snow or more was forecast for some areas overnight Thursday into Friday, and temperatures were expected to plummet, with some areas seeing highs just above zero, the National Weather Service said. Calling all weather photos: Sunsets, snowfall - We want to see your photos 
 
 Dot Joyce, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino's press secretary, said city officials were monitoring the storm, but that it was too early to say whether students' first day back to school, slated for Friday, would be canceled. Connecticut Gov. Still, the governor added, what sets this system apart is the frigid temperatures forecast for the coming days. As much as 9 inches of snow has fallen in some... (Associated Press) 
 
 Snow began falling overnight in parts of New England and New York but the real brunt of the storm wasn't expected to hit until later Thursday. The weather service on Wednesday warned that several inches are possible through early Friday along the Interstate 90 corridor from Chicago to Boston. Some of the coldest air in years will roar into the Northeast after the snowstorm departs Friday, according to AccuWeather meteorologist Bernie Rayno.
– Mother Nature isn't making it an easy transition back to work in the new year, throwing a whole lot of snow, whipping winds, and freezing temperatures at commuters in the Northeast this week. As much as a foot of snow is expected in New England and New York today into tomorrow; more is expected in Boston, which will see "near blizzard" conditions, CNN reports, and Philadelphia and southern New Jersey could see 3 to 7 inches. "The wind is going to whip around the snow and reduce the visibility, creating near-blizzard conditions" through much of the Northeast, one meteorologist tells NBC News. Some 900 US flights are already cancelled today alone, as temperatures fall to highs just above zero in some areas, the National Weather Service said, per the AP. "There will be travel problems," a meteorologist said. "It will be very cold." Adds another, the snowstorm, dubbed "Hercules" by the Weather Channel, could stretch into parts of the Midwest, USA Today reports. "Falling and blowing snow with strong winds and poor visibilities are likely," particularly in NY and Long Island, the Weather Service said, per CNN. "This will lead to whiteout conditions making travel extremely dangerous. Do not travel."