Slow-going on roads as snow storms hit East Coast

WASHINGTON (AP) — A treacherous wintry storm slammed the East Coast on Saturday, dumping more than a foot of snow in some areas and creating misery for motorists on the weekend before Christmas.

Officials urged residents to stay indoors, and many heeded the warning. A mall near Richmond, Va., typically busy this time of year, was nearly deserted as stores opened. Airports canceled flights or were operating with excessive delays. Drivers abandoned their cars as roads and highways became impassable.

Forecasts called for up to 20 inches of snow across the region. The nation's capital was blanketed in white.

Snowplows cleared the runway at Andrews Air Force Base in suburban Washington as President Barack Obama returned from climate talks in Copenhagen. The White House said Obama rode in a motorcade back to the White House, instead of taking his helicopter, because of the conditions.

In western Virginia, officials said several hundred motorists became stranded and had to be rescued by four-wheeled vehicles and Humvees driven by the National Guard. About 100 people were taken to shelters in two counties, said Virginia Department of Emergency Management spokesman Bob Spieldenner.

"Some folks have decided to stay in vehicles, others have been taken to shelters," Spieldenner said. "We're definitely trying to keep people off the roads."

Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said traffic was moving, though slowly. One fatality had been reported, but otherwise there were no medical emergencies, she said.

"It's looks probably a lot worse than it is," she said.

At Crump's old country store at the intersection of two country roads outside Richmond, Va., owner Suzanne Rudd stood with a man dressed in a Santa costume and waved to the few motorists. Rudd said only six children had come by.

"Normally we'd have a long line here but people are having a hard time getting out," Rudd said. They remained under a carport but were still pelted by thick flakes of snow that also coated windshields and bogged down roads.

Washington Mayor Adrian Fenty had declared a snow emergency for the city and forecasters issued a blizzard warning, saying the conditions could worsen. All of the Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo were closed.

"It's going to be an all day thing. It's going to be on and off," said National Weather Service meteorologist Kevin Witt in Sterling, Va.