A major winter storm brought record-breaking snowfall and widespread disruptions to the northeastern United States on Monday, affecting more than 40 million people under blizzard warnings from Maryland to Maine.

The storm, which meteorologists described as the strongest in a decade and classified as a bomb cyclone, dumped more than 2 feet of snow across parts of the region. Rhode Island's T.F. Green International Airport recorded nearly 38 inches of snow, breaking a record set in 1978, while Warwick, Rhode Island exceeded 3 feet. Central Park in New York City measured 19 inches of accumulation.

The severe weather caused significant travel disruptions, with more than 2,000 flights canceled on Tuesday according to FlightAware, primarily affecting airports in New York, New Jersey and Boston. Hundreds of thousands of residents lost power across Massachusetts, New Jersey, Delaware and Rhode Island, though utility crews worked to restore service as conditions improved.

New York, Philadelphia and other cities declared states of emergency as the storm brought hurricane-force wind gusts. The highest recorded wind gust reached 83 mph in Nantucket, with similar conditions across Cape Cod. The Boston Globe suspended printing its daily newspaper for the first time in over 150 years due to safety concerns for staff.

School districts across the region canceled classes, with New York City announcing Tuesday reopening despite some officials questioning the decision given ongoing snow removal efforts. Philadelphia switched to online learning for both Monday and Tuesday, while many suburban districts extended closures.

As cleanup efforts continued Tuesday with roads reopening and mass transit resuming limited service, the National Weather Service warned that another storm could bring additional snow to the region later this week, potentially complicating recovery efforts in hard-hit areas.