Northeast braces for fourth nor'easter in three weeks

PHILADELPHIA -- The fourth nor'easter in three weeks pushed its way Wednesday up the East Coast, the first full day of spring, with high winds and the potential for a foot or more of snow from West Virginia to New England.

Airlines canceled thousands of flights, and school districts throughout the Northeast canceled classes ahead of the storm that's expected to intensify in the afternoon, with heavy, wet snow likely to knock out power across the region. Shore towns were warned that coastal flooding is possible.

Snow started falling Tuesday night in West Virginia and Kentucky and continued through Wednesday morning, while mid-Atlantic states saw a wintry mix before the precipitation was to change over to all snow.

The National Weather Service said the storm was expected to kick into gear in the mid-Atlantic by late Wednesday morning, then head north to New York and New England. But forecasters noted the storm had sharp gradients causing several inches to fall in some spots, while nearby areas could see far less accumulation.

Residents still frazzled from the last three recent storms said they were ready for this one.

"I didn't think I'd still need to keep storm stuff in my car in late March, but what are you going to do?" Wilson Collins said as he prepared to leave his Toms River, New Jersey, home on Wednesday morning, checking his trunk to make sure he had a shovel, a blanket and other emergency items.

"I'm hoping most of the snow will accumulate just on the grass, but the roads will be a mess no matter what. I just hope this is finally it."

National Weather Service meteorologist Dan Peterson said the latest storm is tough to call.

"It's definitely a tricky forecast," Petersen said. "We're still expecting heavy snows throughout the region, but there could be lower numbers in some coastal areas where warmer temperatures are causing rain or more of a wintry mix."

Residents were urged to stay home and off the roads, if possible, so crews can try to keep streets clear.

The flight-tracking site FlightAware reported more than 3,800 canceled flights across the U.S., most in the Northeast.