Residents of the U.S. capital and Mid-Atlantic states began digging out Sunday from piles of wet, heavy snow in below-freezing temperatures while power crews tried to restore electricity to hundreds of thousands of homes and clear streets for work on Monday. The National Weather Service called the storm «historic» and reported a foot (30 centimeters) of snow in parts of Ohio and 2 feet (60 centimeters) or more in Washington, Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Parts of Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia got closer to 3 feet (90 centimeters), AP reported. Many roads reopened but officials continued to warn residents that highways could be icy and treacherous. The snow snapped tree limbs onto power lines and several roofs collapsed under the weight. In Washington, city officials said it was unclear if the roads would be clear enough for workers to get in on Monday. Philadelphia got 28.5 inches (72 centimeters) of snow Saturday, just shy of the record 30.7 inches (78 centimeters) during the January 1996 blizzard. Snow totals were even higher to the west in Pennsylvania, with 31 inches (79 centimeters) recorded in Upper Strasburg and 30 inches (76 centimeters) in Somerset. Almost 18 inches (46 centimeters) of snow was recorded at Washington's Reagan National Airport, which is closed. That's the fourth-highest storm total for the city. At nearby Dulles International Airport in Virginia, the record was shattered with 32 inches (81 centimeters). Flights there have resumed, but are severely limited. Authorities say most public transportation in Philadelphia has resumed in the wake of the city's second-largest snowfall. But in Pittsburgh, bus and light-rail service was suspended. In New Jersey, more than 90,000 customers lost power during the storm's peak. By Sunday morning, 59,000 homes and businesses _ nearly all in Cape May County _ remained without power. Workers from other areas were pitching in and state crews were trying to clear roads. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie urged people to stay off the roads Saturday. «Try to stay inside, try to stay warm,» he said. «Sunday will be a better day so get ready to utilize the rest of your weekend.» The snow led to thousands of wrecks. Still, only two people had died _ a father-and-son team who were killed trying to help someone stuck on a highway in Virginia.
