When the airline departure board looks like this.....br br The airport looks like this.br br (SOUNDBITE) BHARAT PATEL, STRANDED PASSENGER EN ROUTE TO INDIA, SAYING:br br "It took me five and a half hours to get here, my flight was missed. So I had to stay over here. I tried a couple hotels, but it was booked up. So I finally decided to stay here."br br Operations at Newark Airport came to a screeching halt after a winter storm slammed the Northeast Tuesday. The effects were still being felt Wednesday at one of the major air traffic hubs of the New York metropolitan area.br br The airport is mostly empty - except for those forced to sleep here after their flights were grounded. Among them - a group of students just back from Europe.br br (SOUNDBITE) MORGAN DURFEE, STUDENT AND STRANDED PASSENGER EN ROUTE TO COLUMBUS, OHIO, SAYING:br br "Well, it's really uncomfortable. We haven't got any money, because we spent it all in Italy so we had to sleep on the cold floor.