Winter storm hits Northeast

BOSTON - Parts of the Northeast got their first real taste of winter Saturday as a storm crawling up the coast left a slushy, snowy coating on New York City and Philadelphia before moving into New England.

A winter storm warning covering Boston and Hartford, Connecticut was in effect through 7 p.m. as the National Weather Service said to expect 4 to 8 inches of wet snow to fall by the time the storm moves out.

Rain and sleet was mixing in with the snow in areas nearer to the coast, as temperatures crept above freezing, but people were warned to remain cautious.

"Driving is most slippery right around freezing or a little bit above," said weather service meteorologist Bill Simpson in Taunton, Massachusetts.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation said it had more than 2,500 crews out clearing roadways Saturday morning and urged travelers to use caution because roads were wet with snow and slush.

The speed limit was reduced to 40 mph on the Massachusetts Turnpike.

Simpson said the storm should taper off in southern New England from east to west by about 8 p.m. as skies clear, but more may be coming next week.

"After a nice day on Sunday, we look for another potential weather system Monday into Tuesday," he said.

The weekend storm hit Pennsylvania and New Jersey overnight, dropping as much as 9 inches by Saturday morning in communities north of Philadelphia and west of New York.

Both cities did get snow but largely had a slushy mix affecting travel.

Speed restrictions were in place on Delaware River bridges between New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Philadelphia International Airport instituted a "ground delay" traffic management program that led to about two dozen cancellations.