Thousands without power in eastern upstate regions

By: The Associated Press

Friday, December 12, 2008 7:24 AM EST

HUDSON -- A wintry mix of sleet and freezing rain sent tree limbs crashing and left more than 180,000 customers without power in eastern New York. Flood watches were in effect Friday for parts of Long Island and Manhattan.
The National Weather Service continued winter and ice storm warnings Friday for a region stretching from the mid Hudson Valley to the southern Adirondacks. Forecasters said parts of the mid-Hudson Valley were coated with a half-inch to an inch of ice.

"That caused significant amounts of downed trees and power outages," said National Weather Service meteorologist George Maglaras.

National Grid reported more than 130,000 customers without power in the five-county Albany area. Central Hudson Gas & Electric reported more than 50,000 customers in its eight-county coverage area were without electricity early Friday after ice-laden tree limbs brought down power lines. Central Hudson spokesman John Maserjian said crews have about 900 repairs to make.

"There is extensive damage and it's likely we'll be working Saturday," he said.

More than 1,500 customers were without power on Long Island and several hundred in New York City.

Dozens of school throughout the region were closed Friday.

A coastal flood advisory was issued for Long Island as wind gusts were forecast to reach 40 mph. More than an inch of rain fell overnight in New York City and on Long Island. Parts of the Bronx River Parkway and other major thoroughfares were briefly closed due to flooding in Westchester County.

The weather led to delays of more than an hour at John F. Kennedy International Airport and more than two hours for some flights landing at LaGuardia airport, but flights were mostly on time by Friday morning.

Maglaras said the weather service had issued a winter storm warning through 1 p.m. Friday due to freezing rain and sleet, though precipitations was tapering off Friday morning.

A dispatcher with the sheriff's department in Columbia County, south of Albany, said driving conditions were very icy Thursday. In Auburn, a vehicle hit a house Thursday morning, probably after skidding on an icy road, police said. The driver, who was not identified, suffered minor injuries.

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