Storm left much of Lower 48’s landmass covered in snow

Schools and businesses across much of the Northeast were shuttered Tuesday and travel plans were snarled as the season’s first major winter storm pounded the region with more than a foot of snow, ice and high winds.

Parts of Maine could see up to 2 feet of snow before the storm finally eases late Tuesday, forecasters said. The angry weather marked the last days of a storm that began a slow, crippling march across the nation a week ago.

In all, the storm dumped at least a foot of snow across 25 states, the National Weather Service said. This included over 4 feet in mountainous areas of California and Utah.

Snow fell as far south as the high desert of Southern California, Tennessee and the mountains of northern

Georgia, the Capital Weather Gang said.

As of Monday, snow covered over 46% of the Lower 48, the most for Dec. 2 since the weather service started keeping snow cover records in 2003.

The storm caused thousands of flights to be delayed or canceled out of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts on Monday and Tuesday. Pennsylvania and New Jersey were among states placing driving restrictions on some highways.

In New York state, areas in and around Albany had historic snow totals. Official storm-total snowfall at Albany International Airport was 22.6 inches – the eighth biggest snowstorm ever and the fourth biggest December snowfall on record.

A tractor-trailer collided with a bus on the New York Thruway near the Massachusetts line late Monday, injuring some passengers and closing the roadway.