Winter Storm Electra: States prepare for weekend ice and dnow from Midwest into New England

Wunderground.com: Winter Storm Electra is expected to drag snow, ice and cold temperatures from the Midwest into New England during the weekend. Utilities, airports and road crews are on high alert as wintry weather headed toward the Northeast again, bringing with it ice and perhaps a foot or more of snow in parts of New England.

The storm, which was forecast to move from the Ohio into New England over the course of the weekend, put utilities and airports on alert and is likely to affect travel and shoppers looking to hit stores as Christmas approaches. The National Weather Service said 6 to 12 inches of snow are expected from Saturday to Sunday in New England.

Up to 14 inches are possible along the Maine coast but as little as 2 inches on Cape Cod. Areas north and west of New York City and interior Pennsylvania could get 8 inches or more. About half a foot was forecast in parts of Ohio, where snow began falling overnight.

In Connecticut, a saltwater solution applied to roads before storms won't work now because temperatures are too low and the saltwater would freeze, said Kevin Nursick, spokesman at the state Department of Transportation.

However, crews have treated highways before recent snowfalls with salt, helping to keep snow from bonding. And the storm will not affect work day commutes. "The timing is pretty good coming on a weekend," Nursick said....

A Vermont barn in 2008, shot by Patrick, Wikimedia Commons via Flickr, under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license