Storm builds over US East, promises up to 20 inches of snow

A storm that snarled Thanksgiving travel across much of the country brought a messy mixture of rain, snow, sleet and wind to the East, slowing the Monday morning commute, closing schools and offices, and cancelling or delaying hundreds of flights.

The storm dumped one round of snow on parts of the region late Sunday and could drop 10 to 20 inches total by Tuesday morning from Pennsylvania to Maine, forecasters said. Heavy snow was also possible in the Appalachian Mountains down to Tennessee and North Carolina.

Alana Kirkpatrick didn't enjoy her 5 a.m. "workout" in Nashua, New Hampshire, which consisted of removing heaps of snow from her car.

Why do I still live in New England? she said.

In areas not already bludgeoned by the first wave, schools closed preemptively as rain was expected to turn into snow in the region's first significant storm of the season, a nor'easter so named because the winds typically come from the northeast.

Inland areas appeared to be in for the biggest snowfall, with the forecast in Albany, New York, predicting 6 to 14 inches. Closer to the heavily populated, coastal Interstate 95 corridor, a wintry mix was more likely.

Only 3 inches of snow was forecast for New York City and 5 inches for