NEW YORK - The second major snow storm of the winter season dumped over 8 inches of snow on Americas beleaguered northeast Wednesday, snarling traffic and canceling flights, The National Weather Service reported snow on the ground in 49 of the 50 states - only Florida was spared - and much of the South was still battling icy conditions that made roads dangerous and led to several traffic deaths. Airlines preemptively canceled hundreds of flights and companies advised some employees to work from home ahead of the storm. by mid-morning, New Yorkers began digging our of mounds of overnight snow. New Yorks John F. Kennedy airport, which had 6 inches of snow, had 300 flights canceled, and LaGuardia airport saw another 650 flights canceled, officials said. Blizzard conditions created nightmares for travelers and residents along a line that included the cities of Providence, Rhode Island, Boston and Portland, Maine. Places bearing the brunt of the storms fury could expect burying and wind-driven snow, forecasters said, clogging roads and wreaking havoc on all forms of transportation. In New York, Mayor Michael Bloomberg already declared a weather emergency.