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More Snow: Old Man Winter Muscles in on Spring

CBN

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The calendar may say it's spring, but Old Man Winter is still hanging on, causing hardship for much of the nation.

An early spring storm dumped up to 10 inches of snow in parts of New England, along with blizzard-like conditions.

Wind gusts reached up to 80 miles per hour. The winds were so intense, they collapsed a 200-year-old home in Chatham, Mass., killing one person inside.

Power outages and coastal flooding were the big concern in Maine.

In Boston's Back Bay neighborhood, two firefighters were killed as high winds quickly sent a firewall rushing through a four-story brownstone.

The deputy fire chief said he'd never seen a fire escalate so quickly. His department is now grieving the loss of two of Boston's finest: Lt. Edward J. Walsh and Firefighter Michael R. Kennedy.

"Citizens were saved and that's what we do: We sacrifice our lives for the citizens of the city of Boston," Firefighters Union President Richard Paris said.

Meanwhile, in West Virginia, whiteout conditions Wednesday morning along Interstate-81 caused a multi-car pile-up. Two people were killed in the accident, which involved seven tractor trailers and 56 other vehicles.

And just when you thought there was enough trouble in Washington these days, once again the nation's capital was hammered with snow. People there are growing tired of the winter weather.

"It's almost April and it's getting a little bit kind of ridiculous!" one Washingtonian said.

To make matters worse, blooming of the cherry tree blossoms may be delayed.

Tourists visit D.C. in late March and early April to witness the city's magnificent cherry blossoms. Especially pleasing to the eye are those that bloom around the Jefferson Memorial and the Tidal Basin.

But this year, the cherry tree buds are covered in snow. That gave photographer Chiara Rich different photos than the ones she expected.

"It's supposed to be spring and it's supposed to be like sunny," she said.

National Park Service spokesman Brian Hall said people should not worry about the cherry blossoms' late arrival.

"The snow is not going to affect them," he explained. "The most it will do is slow them down a day."

Meanwhile, winter may not be ready to give up quite yet. Meteorologists say April snowstorms aren't that unusual for New England and even Washington, D.C.

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