New York - Associated Press - The first big storm of the season burdened the metropolitan area with up to 9 inches of snow Friday, forcing airlines to cancel more than 1,100 flights and making travel miserable on highways and sidewalks. Earlier in the day, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that his army of 2,000 snowfighters was expecting as much as 10 inches by Saturday morning _ and that it would cost $1 million an inch to clear away.

More than 1,100 flights were canceled at the region’s three airports, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey spokesman Steve Coleman said. Flights were delayed up to three hours at LaGuardia Airport and up to 2{ hours at John F. Kennedy International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport, he said. Times Square was a mess of gray slush by afternoon.

Freezing rain, sleet, snow, power outages, accidents, cancelled flights…This is the kind of weather when a simple walk down the street turns into winter adventure sports. It’s that time of the year when you have a sore throat and your bones are creaking. It’s hell outside and all you wanna do is burrow in under a blanket on the couch, with a cup of hot chocolate.