The winter storm that settled over the Northeast delivered a sleet and snow mix upstate Sunday, canceling church and slowing travel, but falling short of predictions for as much as 2 feet of snow.

A winter storm warning remained in effect until 7 a.m. today in cities from Buffalo to Albany, with the worst of the weather, in the form of wind-driven snow, taking place overnight.

Albany had more than 6 inches of snow by late Sunday, according to the National Weather Service there.

In Buffalo, 5 to 7 inches were expected during the day after an overnight bout of freezing rain and snow that left the roads a slippery mess. Similar snowfall totals were forecast for Syracuse, though some northern counties along Lake Ontario were in line for up to 9 inches of new snow. Parts of Niagara County had about 13 inches late Sunday.

In the North Country, Clinton County was hit with 14 inches, while parts of Franklin County had more than 15 inches, late Sunday.

The weather grounded medical flights in Buffalo and Rochester and caused numerous flight delays in and out of airports across upstate.

“The ceiling's low, the visibility's low, we're grounded,” Mercy Flight dispatcher Dave Cole said in Buffalo. The service had not been called by Sunday afternoon, he said. “I think the storm has been announced so well ... people probably stayed home,” Cole said.

Among those who did venture out were football fans with tickets to the 1 p.m. Bills game in Cleveland. Several boarded a charter bus at 5:30 a.m. for the 190-mile trip to Ohio.

“Rain, snow, sleet, whatever, we'll be there,” Brian Kras said.

The Bills had to spend the night after their snowy loss in Cleveland. The half-hour flight home was canceled.

Also braving the elements were fans of teen singer Hannah Montana, whose 4 p.m. concert in Rochester was a go. They included Jolene Horton of Odessa and her 8-year-old daughter, Paxtyn Brown, who sported a picture of the star on her pink shirt. The pair spent five hours on the road from Schuyler County in the Finger Lakes.

“Normally it would have taken 2 1/2 hours, but we wouldn't have missed it for the world,” Horton said.

There were some minor car crashes early Sunday but no major problems or injuries, authorities said. The Oneida County Sheriff's Office issued a travel advisory against any unnecessary driving.

Many churches canceled services and holiday events Sunday in anticipation of what forecasters billed as a major storm with whiteout conditions.

Wind gusts between 20 and 35 mph were expected around the state Sunday night, with 45 to 50 mph winds in the highest elevations.

Instead of church, Paul Milner of Chittenango found himself at the neighborhood grocery market Sunday. “I thought we'd get it worse. I was working on my snowmobile last night to make sure it was running right.”

It sounded like I might need it to get around,” said Milner, 54, a driver for a beverage distribution company.

“I drove the truck here. The roads weren't bad. But they say there's more on the way. Guess that shouldn't be any surprise in upstate New York in mid-December,” he said.

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Associated Press Writers Valerie Bauman in Albany and William Kates in Syracuse contributed to this report.

AP-ES-12-16-07 2122EST