BOSTON (AP) — More than 1,000 flights were canceled or delayed in the Northeast and Great Lakes regions of the United States due to snowfall, as thousands of people headed to the roads and airports during the busy Christmas-New Year's travel period.

New York City received about 4 inches (10.2 cm) of snow from Friday night to early Saturday, slightly below what some forecasts had predicted. dear. At least 1,500 flights have been canceled since Friday night, according to flight tracking service FlightAware. But by morning, both roads and skies were clearing.

“The storm is definitely easing, a little sleet in the Northeast this morning,” said Bob Oravec, a National Weather Service meteorologist based in Maryland.

Oravec said the storm was moving from the northwest to the southeast, and the heaviest snowfall in the New York City metropolitan area reached more than 6 inches (15 centimeters) in east-central Long Island. Farther north in the Catskills, communities recorded up to 10 inches (25 centimeters).

Newark Liberty International Airport, John F. International Airport Kennedy and LaGuardia Airport posted snow alerts on social media platform X on Friday, warning that the weather conditions could cause flight disruptions.

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The National Weather Service warned of hazardous travel conditions from the Great Lakes to the northern Mid-Atlantic and southern New England, with the potential for tree damage and power outages.

In Times Square, workers in red overalls cleared dirt-covered streets and sidewalks using shovels and snow blowers.

Jennifer Yokley, who was there on a vacation trip from North Carolina, said she was excited to see the snow accumulating as it covered buildings, trees and signs throughout the city.

“I thought it was absolutely beautiful,” she said.

Payton Baker and Kolby Gray, who were visiting from West Virginia, said the snow was a Christmas surprise for their third-anniversary trip.

“Well, it's very cold, and it was very unexpected,” Baker said. “The city is working pretty well to salt all the streets and everything, so it's good.”

Before the storm, New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency for more than half of the district. New Jersey Acting Governor Tahesha Way also declared a state of emergency.

“This storm will cause hazardous road conditions and impact holiday travel,” Way said in a statement. "We urge travelers to avoid traveling during the storm and allow crews to attend to the roads. Drivers should plan their travel accordingly, monitor road conditions and closures, and follow all safety protocols."

4 dead in California

On the other side of the country, California was enjoying a fairly dry weekend days after powerful storms hit the state with heavy rain, causing flash flooding and mudslides. At least four people died, including a man who was found dead Friday in a partially submerged car near Lancaster, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department reported.

Some mountain areas received 10 to 18 inches (25 to 45 centimeters) of rain over three days, peaking on Christmas Eve, said National Weather Service meteorologist Rose Schoenfeld. There was varying amounts of rain in other populated areas, including up to 4 inches (10 centimeters) across the entire Los Angeles basin and many coastal areas.

There was significant damage to homes and cars in Wrightwood, a mountain town of 5,000 people about 80 miles (130 kilometers) northeast of Los Angeles, where flooding and mudslides turned roads into rivers and buried vehicles under rocks and debris.

Before rain reappears in the forecast late next week, California was expected to experience Santa Ana winds with gusts over 60 mph (96 km/h) in mountain areas Sunday night into Tuesday. The winds could down trees and cause power outages.

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Walker reported from New York. Associated Press writer Mark Thiessen in Anchorage, Alaska, contributed.

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This story was translated from English by an AP editor with the help of a generative artificial intelligence tool.