Winter Storm Targets US East Coast, 1,400 Flights Cancelled

A winter storm bore down on the US East Coast on Monday, causing flights to be cancelled after the Presidents Day holiday weekend.

By mid-afternoon on Monday, almost 1,400 US flights were cancelled, mostly at Washington, North Carolina and New York-area airports. Many airlines waived change fees as more flights were scrapped.

5 inches (13 cm) of snow were expected to blanket Washington, with less accumulation in New York City, before turning to freezing rain and then rain amid rising temperatures, National Weather Service meteorologist Patrick Burke said.

After record-breaking cold intensified by gusting winds gripped the US Northeast over the holiday weekend, temperatures on Tuesday were predicted to rise to 56 degrees Fahrenheit (13 Celsius) in New York and 53 degrees (12 C) in Washington. The milder temperatures were expected to stretch into the upcoming weekend.

"This system pushes the Arctic air out of here," Burke added.

On the southern edge of the cold front, Mississippi was hit by heavy rain and at least one tornado, said National Weather Service forecaster Anna Wolverton.

Tornado watches were in place in Alabama and Louisiana. Heavy rains also drenched Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.

The vast storm stretched to western parts of Pennsylvania and New York, where Buffalo was expected to get more than 12 inches of snow.

New England ski resorts, struggling through a relatively warm and snowless winter, may receive up to 5 inches of snow, meteorologist Burke said.