Wild winter storm dumps snow, ice on US northeast

WASHINGTON, Feb 14 (Reuters) A winter storm roared into the northeastern United States today, dumping a mixture of snow, ice, sleet and rain that forced widespread school closures and caused transportation havoc.

The National Weather Service issued a storm warning for the region while in Virginia the governor declared a statewide emergency as the storm, packing winds of up to 40 miles per hour, moved out of the Midwest and up the east coast.

In Washington, D C, the Office of Personnel Management said federal workers in the capital region could show up two hours late for work.

As much as 3 feet of snow was forecast for parts of New England along with wind chills down to 35 degrees below zero, while freezing rain in the Mid-Atlantic prompted concerns about power outages.

United Airlines shut down its operations at Washington's Reagan National and Dulles airports through this morning, while long delays were reported at the New York and Philadelphia air terminals.

Reuters KD GC1556