A storm expected to bring more than 30 centimetres of snow, stiff winds and punishing cold pushed into the northeast U.S. on Thursday, extending Christmas break for some students while posing the first test for New York's new mayor and perhaps the last challenge for Boston's outgoing one. Some schools in New England and New York closed well ahead of the snow, while cities mobilized plows and salt spreaders, and state offices sent workers home early. Some major highways were ordered shut down overnight. U.S. airlines cancelled more than 2,300 flights nationwide on Thursday in advance of the storm. The National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning for Cape Cod, coastal areas north and south of Boston and part of Maine as well as New York's Long Island, where 20 to 25 centimetres of snow could fall and winds could gust to 72 km/h. Thirty-five to 45 centimetres of snow were forecast, with up to 60 centimetres in some areas along the Massachusetts coast.
