New York, Boston School Closings: Expected 8-12 Inches Of Snow And Blizzard Conditions Prompt Early Decision

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio ordered New York City schools to close Thursday as a winter storm slammed the Northeast on the heels of unseasonably warm weather.

Significant snowfalls were expected from West Virginia to Maine with 8-12 inches forecast for Boston, New York City and Philadelphia, followed by plummeting temperatures, the Weather Channel reported. Snowfall could register as much as 2 inches an hour. Lower snowfalls were expected as far west as the Ohio Valley.