Snow closes Northeast schools

BRADLEY BEACH, N.J. -- A fast-moving storm surprised much of the Northeast on Friday, dumping nearly 10 inches of snow that disrupted travel and closed hundreds of schools in at least four states.

The storm, which began Thursday night over Virginia and Maryland, intensified as it swept north into Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York.

The snow had many people grumbling, coming on the heels of a protracted cold spell.

"I've always hated winter," said Tamra McNamee as she shoveled snow for the third time in as many hours from the front of her flower shop in Newark. "I was made to live in California, not this."

In New York's Central Park, where five inches of snow had piled up, 30 women stripped off their clothes for peace, lying naked in the snow and using their bodies to spell out slogans opposing a war with Iraq.

Eight inches of snow fell in Manahawkin, N.J., where a tour bus crashed on the Garden State Parkway, killing two people. Authorities said they didn't think the weather was a factor in the crash.

The snow tapered off by afternoon.

About 7 inches of snow fell on Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Baltimore, causing airport and rail delays. In the New York area, more than 160 flights departing from LaGuardia Airport were canceled, while the Newark airport reported nearly 100 cancellations.

All of Philadelphia's schools and many city offices shut down. In Maryland, the snow caused 24 school districts to close.

Penny Spilane of Toms River tried to get a ride to the grocery store, but all the taxi companies she called said nobody was driving. She ended up walking to a 7-Eleven.

"I have enough food to cover me until tomorrow," she said. "But I can't go without my cigarettes and soda."