East Coast buttons up ahead of snow; Boston could get 2 feet

By PHILIP MARCELO
Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) — Parts of 10 eastern U.S. states are under blizzard warnings as a powerful storm that could dump as much as 2 feet of snow on Boston begins churning up the coast. Shoppers cleared grocery shelves and raided snowblower dealers Friday ahead of the storm. Snow could fall as fast as 5 inches per hour in some spots, and winds in New England could gust as high as 70 mph. New York and Philadelphia are also in the storm’s path. Airlines have canceled thousands of flights in advance. Some New England officials are fretting about a shortage of snowplow drivers. Intense cold is expected to follow the storm.