Wind gusts continue and roads remain blocked across much of Massachusetts, but people are taking precautions and staying inside. TODAY's Al Roker reports.
By Ian Johnston and Erin McClam, NBC News
Updated at 11:18 a.m. ET: Parts of New England woke up Saturday to the largest snowfall on record ? more than 3 feet in places, with more to come ? after a monster blizzard that packed hurricane winds, knocked out power and marooned cars.
At least two deaths were blamed on snow-related car accidents, but transportation in much of the Northeast was at a standstill. The governors of Connecticut and Rhode Island ordered all roads closed so plows could work.
?This is a record-setting storm,? Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy said. ?Unless you face an emergency, please stay put.?
Full coverage from The Weather Channel
At least 655,000 people were without power, including 405,000 in Massachusetts and 185,000 in Rhode Island.
When conditions quickly deteriorated on Long Island, more than 100 drivers were stranded. TODAY's Lester Holt reports.
Most major airports were closed ? either officially or practically, with no flights taking off or landing. More than 5,300 flights were canceled, according to the website FlightAware. The three major New York airports were expected to struggle back to life starting at 9 a.m.
Portland, Maine, had 29.3 inches of snow at 8 a.m. ET, making it the worst snowstorm in that city?s history, the National Weather Service said. Milford, Conn., had 38 inches on the ground, and the town of Hamden, outside New Haven, reported 34 inches.
The storm ranked as the second-biggest on record in Hartford, with 22 inches; the third-biggest in Worcester, Mass., with 28 inches; and the third-biggest in Providence, R.I., with 19.5 inches. Snow was still falling across much of New England on Saturday morning, making the totals certain to increase.
Boston had 21.4 inches, making it the No. 6 all-time snowstorm. Public trains and buses there were shut for a second day Saturday.
Central Park in New York recorded 8.1 inches.
The National Weather Service recorded peak wind gusts of 83 mph in Cuttyhunk, Mass. ? the strength of a Category 1 hurricane. There were gusts of 72 mph in Westport, Conn., and 76 mph in East Boston. Plum Island, N.Y., had gusts of 75 mph.
The East Coast blizzard will bring about extreme coastal flooding, gusts up to 70 mph on the coasts and storm surges as high as 4.5 feet. Then, the big dig out will kick in on Sunday. The Weather Channel's Mike Seidel reports from Revere Beach, Massachusetts.
People who live on the coast, still weary from Hurricane Sandy in October, were worried about the prospect of flooding.
?I?m really nervous,? Kathy Niznansky, a teacher in coastal Fairfield, Conn., told The Associated Press. She said was out of her house near the beach for two months after Sandy. ?I just don?t want any more flooding.?
The National Weather Service, in a notice posted at 4 a.m. ET, warned of ?hurricane force wind gusts across New England and Long Island? in addition to heavy snow. The blizzard was expected to bring extreme coastal flooding.
On the Long Island Expressway, 60 to 100 cars were stuck in the snow, said Lt. Daniel Meyer of Suffolk County Police. He said officers had worked through the night to get people out of the cars and take them to safety. Meyer said no one was killed.
?The plows cannot plow because of all the disabled motorists. and the snow keeps piling and piling up,? Meyer said.
In New York, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Saturday morning that 2,200 pieces of equipment were on the streets, salting and plowing. He said that all the primary streets in the city had been plowed.
?I think it?s fair to say that we were very lucky,? he said. ?Looks like we dodged a bullet.?
As traffic snarled and officials issued warnings for residents to stay home, the coastal areas prepared for a major storm surge. NBC's Ron Mott reports.
He said the city had offered help to other places hit harder by the storm.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which controls the three major New York-area airports, said that more normal volume would not resume until about noon at Newark Liberty International Airport because runways had to be shut down in ?whiteout conditions.?
On Friday, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick had ordered non-essentially vehicles off the roads and said people should brace to be snowed in for two days. He said the storm was "profoundly different" from others the state has endured in recent years.
In Connecticut, Malloy also banned car traffic on limited-access highways from 4 p.m. Friday. He ordered all roads closed Saturday morning, and notice was sent over the state?s Emergency Broadcast System.
The winter storm was? fueled by two weather systems ? a so-called clipper pattern that swept across the Midwest and a band of rain that churned up from the South. They clashed explosively over the Northeast on Friday.
The storm arrived in earnest Friday night. The governors of New York, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island all declared states of emergency.
More than 800 National Guard soldiers and airmen were activated in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York to provide roadway support, emergency transportation and back-up for first responders, the Department of Defense said.
LaGuardia was virtually empty Friday evening as 4,700 flights were canceled nationwide. NBC's Rehema Ellis reports.
In Poughkeepsie, N.Y., a car driven by an 18-year-old female went out of control in the snow and struck Muril M. Hancock, 74, who was walking near the shoulder, police said Friday. Hancock died from his injuries at the hospital.
There was also a fatal crash in?Prospect, Conn., at about 9 p.m. ET Friday, state police told NBCConnecticut.com.
A 19-car pileup on Interstate 295 in Falmouth, Maine, was blamed on the storm. Police said there were minor injuries.
In New York, the Metro-North commuter railroad suspended service Friday night. The Long Island Rail Road shut down service to eastern Long Island about 9 p.m.
Bloomberg warned people to stay in, encouraging New Yorkers to cook a meal or read a good book.
Related:
'Absolutely beautiful' scene in Conn. town hit by most snow
Sandy survivors: It's like a repeat 'nightmare'??
Watch live video of the Northeast blizzard
The Weather Channel live blog
State-by-state impact of the storm
Current conditions
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