Snow squalls — sudden bursts of heavy snow and gusty winds — have created whiteout conditions in parts of the Northeast during a storm that is also bringing more snow to the Great Lakes region. Officials in upstate New York say two people died from heart attacks after shoveling snow. The area has seen steady snowfall since the end of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, well ahead of the Dec. 21 calendar start to winter. Numerous schools in Buffalo and surrounding towns were closed Thursday, and vehicle accidents backed up traffic. Travel bans and restrictions were in place in parts of Ohio and Pennsylvania. Many schools also were delayed or closed in New England.
