US: Airlines cancel 1,200+ flights ahead of winter storm as snow falls on East Coast

Airlines canceled more than 700 US flights Wednesday and 560 for Thursday as the Northeast and mid-Atlantic prepare for what is being forecast as the biggest winter storm in years, which threatens to dump up to 2 feet of snow on some areas. The National Weather Service said: "A widespread swath of heavy, wet snow is likely from the central Appalachians and interior Mid-Atlantic into portions of the Northeast and southern New England. Freezing rain and ice are also likely in western North Carolina and southwest Virginia. Travel is not recommended." The weather service posted winter storm warnings, watches and advisories all the way from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, down to northeastern Georgia, a distance of more than 850 miles. Cities like New York, Boston and Philadelphia are expected to see up to a foot, so it's not surprising to see those cities' airports with many of the US flight cancellations at flight-tracking website FlightAware.com. Newark Liberty International had 130 cancellations as of 5:30 p.m. EST on Wednesday, according to FlightAware. Another 108 are canceled for Thursday. Although the Washington area is only supposed to see a few inches of snow, Dulles International Airport already had 130 cancellations Wednesday and another two dozen for Thursday.<br/>