Midday Report: April 16, 2007

Heavy rains, powerful waves and astronomical tides are combining to create flooded streets, smashed windows and downed power lines from the Adirondacks to the Atlantic today; in Vermont the spring storm dropped as much as seventeen inches of heavy wet snow in the higher elevations, and that has contributed to power outages for perhaps twenty five thousand homes and businesses affected by trees falling across power lines; ski resort operators are thrilled to be able to extend their seasons, but won’t know until next month whether the end of the ski season will be strong enough to offset the losses from a snowless December and January.