Winter storm blasts Northeast, causing travel woes

PORTLAND, Maine -- A major Nor’easter slammed into northern New York and New England on Sunday, just days after another storm blasted towns and cities across the Northeast. More than a foot of snow are expected from New York to Maine, and some parts of New England could see up to two feet of snow.

Wind gusts of more than 50 mph and as much as two feet of snow have been forecast throughout the region, reports CBS News correspondent Don Dahler. Blizzard-like conditions and slick roads caused several accidents and drivers to slide off the highway. A woman was rescued from a frozen pond in New Jersey after her car jumped the curb and crashed through the ice. Don McEwan jumped in to save her.

“The car was filling with water and I asked her if anyone else was in the car, and she said no,” McEwan said.

In Portland, Maine, firefighters spent hours clearing away an oil tanker truck that jackknifed on the interstate. Highway workers have been working overtime to keep on top of the fast moving storm. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker urged drivers to take caution.

“Don’t crowd the plows. Allow the personnel and the equipment to keep on doing the work they’re doing to keep the roads clear,” Baker said.

Outside Boston, a 60-year-old man was killed as a plow was backing up in a hospital parking lot. At a Massachusetts airport, emergency responders rushed to help five people on board a private plane that skidded off the runway. No one was injured.

The hazardous conditions canceled hundreds of flights into and out of several major Northeast airports. All flights into and out of the Portland jetport here have been canceled through at least 8 p.m. Monday. That’s when the bulk of this storm is expected to move out into the ocean.