The big blizzard dubbed "Nemo" moving in on New England is causing cancellations and rearranging travel plans in and out of San Francisco International Airport (SFO) Friday morning, airport officials said.
As of 9 a.m., 47 departures and 20 arrivals had been canceled, Bay City News Service reported.
Across the Northeast region, flights into and out of Newark Liberty International in New Jersey, John F. Kennedy International in New York, Philadelphia International and Boston's Logan International airports have been most affected by the storm that is predicted to bring record-breaking snow levels, officials said.
No cancellations have been reported at Oakland International Airport.
A Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport spokeswoman was not immediately available for comment.
Regardless of destination, airport officials advise checking in with airline carriers before heading to the airport.
Heavy snowfall is predicted over the weekend.
The nor'easter with blizzard conditions was expected to hit Friday night and into Saturday morning, according to the National Weather Service. Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick called a rare state of emergency and banned all cars from the road beginning at 4 p.m. EST, the Boston Globe reported.
With three feet of snow predicted in Boston and whiteout conditions, officials have been scrambling and advising residents to stay indoors and avoid any non-essential travel.
"This has the potential to be a top 10 snowstorm all-time in Boston!" Chris Dolce and Jon Erdman writing for the Weather Channel predicted.
And, incidentally, the name, "Nemo," has nothing to do with the Pixar movie of the adorable clownfish, nor is it an official name. Bryan Norcross, of the Weather Channel, told the New York Times the word means “no one” or “no man” in Latin.
The Weather Channel which has begun naming storms, in alphabetical order. But, it is catchy, and as Norcross pointed out to the Times, it does create a hashtag.
—Additional reporting by Bay City News, Chicago Tribune and Weather Channel.
