A cyclist is framed by snow covered leaves of a tree in lower Manhattan on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018, in New York. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)
NEW YORK (AP) - One of the first big storms of the season moved across the eastern half of the country Thursday, causing at least seven deadly traffic crashes and closing schools as it dropped snow as far south as central Alabama.
As much as 8 inches (20 centimeters) of snow blanketed the St. Louis area, and forecasters predicted up to 6 inches (15 centimeters) in parts of southern New England as the storm made its way east. They also predicted northern New Jersey could see 4 to 8 inches of snow before the system exits the region by early Friday, while 2 to 5 inches is expected in the central region of the state.
Roads in Ohio were clogged by midday Thursday, where officials reported at least one traffic death that was likely weather-related. Indiana State Police also reported a death early Thursday, which they said was caused by the 60-year-old woman driving too fast on a slick road.
In North Carolina, the National Park Service closed the Blue Ridge Parkway to traffic because of dangerous road conditions stemming from snow, sleet and freezing rain. The park service said the closure Thursday includes the so-called "Asheville commuter zone" between mileposts 389 and 375, Asheville Citizen Times reported.
A pedestrian walks through a snow covered parking lot in Mt. Holly, N.J., Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018. A mix of rain, sleet and snow started falling late Thursday morning in southern areas and was expected to soon move across the state. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
School districts closed or sent students home early across the lower Great Lakes and the Northeast. The University of Connecticut canceled classes starting at 3:30 p.m. or later at its main campus, satellite campuses and law school.
The South, where weather officials said the overnight trace in Alabama missed setting a record for earliest snow by about two weeks, began to clean up.
In Mississippi, a tour bus bound for a casino overturned, killing two people and injuring 44 others. And in the Little Rock, Arkansas, area, three people were killed in separate crashes on icy roads Wednesday night, while Interstate 40 was shut down overnight in the eastern part of the state because of several crashes. The interstate reopened shortly before daybreak Thursday, but officials said traffic was slow-going because some drivers had fallen asleep.
A person walks in view of Independence Hall during a snow storm in Philadelphia, Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Witnesses told Mississippi investigators the tour bus driver lost control after crossing an icy overpass and the bus rolled over on its driver's side, coming to rest in median of Interstate 269 in Byhalia around 12:35 p.m., said Mississippi Highway Patrol spokesman Capt. Johnny Poulos.
"All of a sudden the bus started swerving then it spun around two times, hit the rail and then flipped over," bus passenger Veronica Love told news outlets as she left a hospital after the wreck. "The second spin, it started picking up speed. It was, I mean, what could you do?"
The crash happened about 35 miles (55 kilometers) southeast of downtown Memphis, Tennessee.
Richard Burst clears snow from his driveway Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018 in St. Louis. "All I really need to accomplish are two lanes for my car," he said. Much of the region had at least 4 inches of snow and forecasters expect about 1 inch or 2 inches more will fall by the time it tapers off around noon Thursday. (Robert Cohen /St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)
Killed were Betty Russell, 70, and Cynthia Hardin, 61, both of Huntsville, Alabama, said DeSoto County Coroner Joshua Pounders. The injured were taken to Memphis-area hospitals, with at least three listed in serious condition Wednesday evening.
Officials said the group was traveling from Huntsville, Alabama, to gamble at a casino in Mississippi's Tunica County, about 40 miles (65 kilometers) to the west.
In Virginia, the planned launch early Thursday of an unmanned cargo rocket to the International Space Station had to be rescheduled by one day because of the weather, NASA said. The unmanned Cygnus cargo craft is now scheduled to lift off early Friday from Wallops Island on the Eastern Shore carrying supplies and research materials for the astronauts at the space station.
A person walks in view of Independence Hall as snow falls in Philadelphia, Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)