By RYAN HUTCHINS
PLATTSBURGH -- It seemed as if the North Country was facing an impending doomsday Saturday, as residents anticipated the first nor'easter of the season.
People flocked to supermarkets and gas stations prior to the wintry storm, which was expected to dump 10 to 20 inches of snow on the region today.
"Some of the people working here say it's one of the worst for storms," said Steve Williams, manager of Plattsburgh's Hannaford Supermarket.
The rush to finish shopping before today was so intense that Williams was predicting a 75-percent increase in sales over a typical Saturday. Another manager described the scene from earlier that morning as "the end of the world."
Several customers waiting at registers and shopping around Hannaford late in the afternoon said they were doing regular shopping, just a day early.
"We usually shop on Sunday but decided to shop today because it's going to be snowing," said Nancy Strack, a communications professor at Plattsburgh State.
She planned to spend today grading assignments and wrapping some gifts.
Todd Rabideau, of Cadyville, who was using the Redbox DVD kiosk at the front of the store, said he was ready to spend the day at home.
"Planning on it," he said. "Filled the car up, filled the truck up, cleared the driveway."
He'll of course be doing a lot more of that today, as snowfall sweeps over the coast.
The National Weather Service in Burlington predicted the white to start dropping early this morning, bringing an inch or two by day break.
The heaviest snow was predicted to fall during the morning.
"Should be seeing snowfall rates at one-to-two inches per hour in the heaviest bands," said Maureen Breitbach, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Burlington.
Snow was expected to taper off by early afternoon, with the potential of a sleet mix throughout the North Country during that time period.
Southern Essex county has the greatest potential for sleet, Breitbach said.
The snow will redevelop by late afternoon before stopping Monday morning.
The Weather Service issued a winter storm warning ending at 7 a.m. Monday.
The service was predicating gusty winds during and after the storm, which would cause drifting and make roads treacherous.
"Don't travel if it isn't necessary," Breitbach said.
The storm doesn't have the potential to become a blizzard, she said.
"Doesn't look like we're going to hit that criteria."
But the service was predicting near-blizzard conditions throughout New York.
The storm has already made its way through most of the Midwest, which had some regions still recovering from the weather earlier in the week.
Tens of thousands of people still had no electricity since that storm slammed Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri. It was blamed for at least 38 deaths, mostly in traffic accidents.
In Chicago, more than 200 flights were canceled because of the weather Saturday at O'Hare International Airport, and other flights were delayed 30 minutes to an hour, said Chicago Department of Aviation spokesman Gregg Cunningham. The problem was limited visibility in the falling snow, said United Airlines spokeswoman Robin Urbanski.
Concern about the approaching storm also led the University of Connecticut to cancel Sunday's winter commencement ceremony. About 850 undergraduates had expected to receive diplomas Sunday, but school spokesman Richard Veilleux said officials were concerned about the safety of the students, their families and other guests on slippery roads.
