Snow, Sheets of Ice Hit at New England

More than a foot of blowing snow and sheets of ice turned highways into toboggan runs today from the Deep South to New England, closing schools and government offices, halting presidential campaigns and stalling travelers.

Gale-force wind tore down 15 stories of metal construction scaffolding around a building in White Plains, N.Y. At least 15 traffic deaths were blamed on the storm. Parts of Maine and Vermont were expected to get up to 2 feet of snow, with up to 16 inches in western Massachusetts and 20 inches in northern New York state and the Catskills, the National Weather Service said. Boston’s Logan International Airport closed in the morning because of poor visibility in blowing snow, and hundreds of travelers camped out in waiting lounges. The airport had 5.7 inches of snow by 1 p.m., but the temperature was 34 degrees.