Hundreds of flights in NY region cancelled before storm

Hundreds of flights were cancelled today to and from New York airports as the region braced itself for heavy snowfall.
Some 470 flights -- nearly 37 per cent of the total scheduled -- arriving and departing from John F Kennedy International Airport had already been canceled by 9:00 am (1400 GMT), along with 550, or 44 percent, of flights from New Jersey's Newark airport and 485, or 42 per cent, from La Guardia, which operates primarily domestic flights, according to the FlightAware flight tracking site.
The Port Authority agency that oversees the three airports -- which has come under sharp criticism for the chaos that followed early January's snowstorm -- said each airport had stocked folding beds, blankets, diapers and baby formula as a precautionary measure.

New York expected between six and 10 inches of snowfall today, with up to 20 inches predicted in more rural areas of New York state, New Jersey and Connecticut.
The National Weather Service warned of "heavy wet snow, coastal flooding and gusty winds" in the region.
New York public schools as well as city public services and courts were open as usual.
The last storm to sweep through the northeastern United States last week left at least five people dead, mostly due to trees felled by violent winds and heavy rains.