THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAYS A FOOT AND MORE OF SNOW WAS REPORTED IN LOWER ELEVATIONS OF WEST VIRGINIA, WHERE MOST TOWNS AND ROADS ARE. HIGH ELEVATIONS IN THE MOUNTAINS WERE GETTING MORE THAN TWO FEET. MORE THAN 128,000 CUSTOMERS IN WEST VIRGINIA WERE WITHOUT POWER. AUTHORITIES CLOSED MORE THAN 45 MILES OF INTERSTATE 68 ON EITHER SIDE OF THE WEST VIRGINIA-MARYLAND STATE LINE BECAUSE OF BLIZZARD CONDITIONS AND STUCK CARS.
THE STATE HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION IN MARYLAND SAYS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS IN THE WESTERN STATE HAVE GOTTEN MORE THAN A FOOT OF SNOW SINCE MONDAY AFTERNOON, AND IT WAS STILL SNOWING AT 5 A.M. TODAY.
MEANWHILE, LOWER MANHATTAN IS STILL LARGELY BLACKED OUT, AND U.S. STOCK EXCHANGES SAY THEY WILL BE TESTING CONTINGENCY PLANS TO ENSURE TRADING RESUMES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE THIS WEEK AFTER HURRICANE SANDY SMASHED INTO THE EAST COAST. U.S. MARKETS WILL REMAIN CLOSED TODAY BUT THE NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE SAID THAT DESPITE REPORTS THAT ITS HISTORIC TRADING FLOOR SUFFERED IRREPARABLE DAMAGE, NO SUCH DAMAGE HAS OCCURRED AND THAT CONTINGENCY PLANS ARE BEING TESTED ONLY AS A SAFETY MEASURE.
DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL FUTURES ARE DOWN 29 POINTS TO 13,025. THE BROADER S&P FUTURES HAVE GIVEN UP 1.4 POINTS TO 1,406.20. NASDAQ FUTURES ARE DOWN 11 POINTS TO 2,648. DOZENS OF COMPANIES HAVE POSTPONED EARNINGS REPORTS THIS WEEK.
