Power restoration in snowy East could take days

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Residents across the Northeast woke up to cold, dark homes and one of the earliest snow days in memory today after a storm dumped as much as 30 inches of wet, heavy snow that snapped trees and power lines and disrupted plans for Halloween trick-or-treating.

Communities from Maryland to Maine that suffered through a tough winter last year followed by a series of floods and storms went into now-familiar emergency mode as schools and roads closed, shelters opened, regional transit was suspended or delayed, and local leaders urged caution.

The storm's lingering effects likely will outlast the snow. Temperatures are expected to begin rising today and the heavy, wet snow will start melting, the National Weather Service said.

The early nor'easter had utility companies struggling to restore electricity to more than 3 million homes and businesses. By early today, the number of customers without power was still above 2 million but falling. But officials in some states warned it could be days or even a week before residents have power again, even though crews have been brought in from as far away as Michigan and Canada.