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President Obama returned from Copenhagen early Saturday,

landing at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland amid a major winter storm.

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By JENNIFER JENKINS

Published: December 19, 2009

Major Snowstorm Hits Atlantic Coast

Winter storm warnings were in effect from Tennessee and North Carolina to the southern New England states, and the storm was expected to affect Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia and other cities. A blizzard warning was in effect for Long Island.

The National Weather Service said travel conditions in those areas would be “extremely treacherous” by Saturday morning.

In Washington, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty declared a snow emergency, effective at 7 a.m. Saturday.

“All indications are this will be a major storm — perhaps the biggest we’ve seen in several years,” Mayor Fenty said in a news release, “and we are going to throw everything we have at it to keep the District open for business on this busy preholiday weekend.”

The storm could also affect senators, who are expected to meet on Saturday to continue work on health care legislation.

Snowfall in most areas was expected to be heaviest overnight Friday through Saturday evening.

In North Carolina, cities like Asheville and Canton received as much as seven inches of snow by Friday evening. By Friday night, 16 inches of snow had fallen in Boone, N.C.

Gov. Tim Kaine declared a state of emergency in Virginia, and urged citizens to pay close attention to weather forecasts and avoid travel. More than seven inches of snow had fallen in Roanoke, Va., by Friday night.

By Friday afternoon, at least 40 flights scheduled for a Saturday arrival or departure at Richmond International Airport in Virginia had been canceled.

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