Another March nor'easter scraps thousands of Northeast flights

March 21 (UPI) -- Another winter storm slammed the Northeast with snow and heavy winds Wednesday morning -- making the fourth nor'easter in less than three weeks.

The heaviest round of the storm will begin falling around 8 a.m. in Washington, D.C., and will work its way through Philadelphia and New York City, forecasters said.

New York and D.C. could get up to 3 inches of snow, while Philadelphia should see 6 inches. Suburbs in all three metro areas could get as many as 12.

Through Wednesday night, the snow will continue from Maine to Maryland -- bringing with it the possibility of coastal flooding and beach erosion from the Delaware coast to New England, meteorologists said.

The worst flooding is expected along the Jersey Shore, including Long Beach Island, Atlantic City and Ocean City. There is also a possibility of flooding along Long Island Sound.

Southern New England can expect 60 mph winds from the storm system Wednesday night, while 40 mph winds are possible from the New York City area southward to the Delmarva Peninsula.

Thursday may bring some relief, despite snow and some strong winds still lingering in parts of eastern New England, although experts said most of it will end by midday.

Public schools were closed in New York City Wednesday by Mayor Bill De Blasio, who said the storm would "pick up very quickly." Classes in Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington were also canceled.

More than 3,750 flights across the mid-Atlantic and Northeast were canceled: Wednesday due to the storm, as nearly every major city along the northeastern coast is in the storm's path. Combined with canceled flights from Tuesday and Thursday, more than 4,700 flights have been canceled due to the nor'easter.

All three New York City-area airports were among the hardest hit by cancellations -- including about two-thirds of the entire Wednesday flight schedule at both Newark Liberty and LaGuardia. Just under half the day's flights have been canceled at John F. Kennedy International Airport.

#GOESEast captures the start of the storms affecting parts of the East Coast and expected to bring heavy snow to the start of Spring. Check your local @NWS for Winter Storm Warnings. More satellite imagery: https://t.co/mbgRYot60A pic.twitter.com/1bLvL3nPVz

- NOAA Satellites (@NOAASatellites) March 20, 2018