U.S. east coast hit by major winter stormJanuary 22, 2014 - 15:53 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The U.S. east coast has been hit by the second major winter storm of the year, with up to 12in (30cm) of snow, strong winds and bitter cold forecast, BBC News reports. Even before the first flakes had fallen, U.S. government offices in Washington DC and schools in several states were closed preemptively. As snow fell along major motorways along the U.S. east coast authorities warned of hazardous road conditions. More than 3,000 flights have already been cancelled in the U.S. Another 800 flights were preemptively cancelled for Wednesday, Jan 22, and Amtrak began to cut back train services on Tuesday afternoon along its popular north-eastern route. The storm comes two weeks after a weather pattern known as the polar vortex brought heavy snow and record low temperatures to the eastern half of the U.S. Perilous conditions stretched for 1,000 miles (1,600km) from Kentucky to Massachusetts on Tuesday, slowing traffic and sparking winter storm warnings. Washington DC is expected to see its heaviest snow fall in three years. The White House cancelled an afternoon press briefing and a meeting of President Barack Obama's commission on electoral administration. But the U.S. Supreme Court remained open to hear arguments. Temperatures across the eastern U.S. are expected to be 10 to 25 degrees colder than average on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the U.S. National Weather Service. Gridlock was reported on New York City highways, with commuters reporting drive times of quadruple their normal duration. Related links: Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Cyprus parliament honors Armenian genocide victims Acting House President Zacharias Koulias noted that April 24 marks the “black anniversary” of the Armenian genocide. Armenia PM, France envoy discuss regional matters Issues related to the consistent development of Armenia-France cooperation were discussed. Azerbaijan razes historic Armenian church to ground Azerbaijan has demolished the historic Armenian Church of St. John the Baptist (known as Kanach Zham). Russia to begin assessing migrant workers' speaking skills Rosobrnadzor is planning to change the Russian language exam for migrant workers and include an assessment of speaking skills |