Spring snowstorm hits central, eastern US

A huge storm stretching from the central United States to the east coast is dropping heavy wet snow and slush, though less snow is forecast to fall as the system moves eastward. Light rain and snow were falling from the city of Washington north to New Jersey on Monday morning as the stormed arrived after dropping 15 centimeters on Ohio. The storm was expected to drop a similar amount as it moved across Pennsylvania, except for higher elevations in the mountains, where 15 to 25 centimeters were forecast. Before it exits off the coast of New Jersey on Monday night, the storm could leave 5 to 10 centimeters of snow in that state, Delaware, northern Maryland, and southern New York. The storm was stronger in the central part of the country, where it was blamed for automobile crashes in three states. Central Illinois was hit with a record 42.5 centimeters of snow, and several counties in central Indiana declared snow emergencies after receiving up to 20 centimeters of snow. Farther west, parts of Colorado and northwestern Kansas spent Sunday digging out from 25 to 38 centimeters of snow that fell there Saturday. Southwestern Nebraska received up to 18 centimeters. Winds gusting at speeds of up to 72 kilometers per hour created snow drifts of 60 centimeters to 1 meter, the National Weather Service (NWS) said.