Snow, Cars, Warnings Pile Up as Storm Moves East

WASHINGTON (AP) — The latest on the blizzard slamming the eastern part of the United States (all times local):

5:57 a.m. - Kentucky State Police say emergency shelters are being opened near two exits along Interstate 75 for motorists who've been stranded by a mammoth storm that's already dumped 18 inches of snow on portions of the state.

State Police officials tell Kentucky television station WTVQ (http://bit.ly/1Pu2rRP ) that southbound traffic was being diverted to Exit 76 in Berea, while northbound traffic was being diverted to Exit 41 in London.

A section of I-75 in Rockcastle County was closed twice during Friday afternoon and evening due to numerous accidents. It turned I-75 in both directions in Rockcastle and Laurel counties into a parking lot. Some motorists said they had been stuck on I-75 for 10 hours. The American Red Cross was providing food to stranded drivers.

The storm is moving eastward and could dump 2 feet or more of snow in some states.

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5:45 a.m. - Various storm warnings and watches remain in effect in several states as a mammoth winter storm that could dump 2 feet or more of snow in some areas continued to move eastward.

The National Weather Service's website says blizzard warnings remained in effect Saturday for eastern and coastal portions of the mid-Atlantic, from mountain areas in Virginia to Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York City and Long Island, New York.

Winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories also remained in effect for a large area that extended from the Tennessee Valley to the Ohio Valley, and spanned from the Carolinas to southern New England. High wind warnings and watches are in effect for coastal regions in the mid-Atlantic and southern New England. Coastal flood warnings and watches are in effect from Virginia to Massachusetts.

Storm and gale warnings are in effect for mid-Atlantic and New England Coastal waters.

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5:12 a.m. - A mammoth storm that's shuttered tens of millions of residents from northern Georgia to New Jersey already has dumped heavy snow in 14 states, including 18 inches in Kentucky, as it continues to move eastward.

The National Weather Service's website early Saturday said 18 inches of snow had fallen on Ulysses in eastern Kentucky, while 16 inches fell in Beattyville. Between 14 inches to 15.5 inches had fallen in at other locations across Kentucky, including Frenchburg, Mount Vernon, Eglon and Lancer.

The Weather service says 7 inches of snow fell in Washington, D.C. while snowfall amounts in nearby Maryland ranged between 4.5 inches in Baltimore and 13.5 inches in Oakland. In Virginia, Reagan National Airport reported 6.8 inches of snow and Elma had 15 inches. Other states that recorded snowfall amounts greater than 6 inches included Delaware, Georgia, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia. Various locations in Georgia and Alabama received between 1 and 3.5 inches of snow.

Snow started falling Friday, but the worst was still yet to come, with strong winds and heavy snow expected to produce "life-threatening blizzard conditions" throughout the day Saturday.

(Story by: The Associated Press)