The Chicago area got inches of snow Wednesday while cities across New England and the Midwest declared snow emergencies anticipating a storm to come. Some Chicago suburbs had received almost a foot by Wednesday afternoon in the snow that began New Year's Eve, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. Hundreds of flights were canceled at O'Hare Airport, and meteorologists warned the combination of snow and low temperatures made road travel hazardous. In Boston, forecasters predicted a nor'easter beginning Thursday afternoon that would combine snow with coastal flooding, the Boston Globe said. Mayor Thomas Menino declared a parking ban to start at noon Thursday and said public schools would not reopen Friday after the holiday break, remaining closed through the weekend. Many schools in the Boston suburbs were also expected to be closed. On the east coast, snow was expected to fall Thursday and Friday as far south as Baltimore. The Baltimore Sun said the city would get its first snow of the year starting Thursday as a mix of rain, sleet and snow. Forecasters said the storm would be followed by a freeze with temperatures plunging to the single digits in New England and the mid-Atlantic region.