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Region survives major winter storm
The Times Union rounds up some reports from the massive snowstorm that covered the Hudson Valley on March 14. Heavy, wet snow was caused breaking branches and tree falling, some on utility wires, knocking out power to thousands of homes, especially in Rensselaer, Columbia, and Dutchess counties. The East Durham and Earlton fire departments lost power during the storm but were still operational. Law enforcement warned roads were impassable, making it difficult to get to stranded vehicles. The region saw around 5 to 11 inches by midday on March 14, with heavier snow in the higher elevations, according to the National Weather Service in Albany. The southern Adirondacks, Mohawk and Schoharie valleys and Catskills saw around 10 to 16 inches, while the Berkshires and Green Mountains got the most, from 2-to-2½ feet. There were 16 inches in Knox in southern Albany County, and 13.5 inches in Hunter, on the mountaintop in Greene County. Greene County Emergency Manager Dan King urged residents to stay home "so the road crews could do their work." High winds are forecast until March 15, and many side roads will not be cleared until then. In Syracuse, a Delta Air Lines plane veered off a paved surface as it taxied for takeoff on March 14. No one was injured and the airport remained open. Tannersville Mayor Lee Mcgunnigle called the storm "pretty significant," and said it created "some heavy work for the municipality." The weather here was such big national news that The Weather Channel had correspondents with many live shots from Poughkeepsie and the Berkshires during the storm. Read the full story in the Times Union.