The bitter blast also brought some rain and the first snowflakes of the season across the New York area, particularly to the north and west of New York City and in northern New Jersey on Tuesday.
Residents in Bergen County awoke to a few flurries early in the morning, and Eyewitness News reporter Anthony Johnson was pelted with sleet in Ramsey. It is unusually cold for this time of the year, with wind chills only registering in the 20s and even the teens.
There was no accumulation, but the conditions made for a tricky morning commute.
In Westchester County, temperatures were plummeting by the minute. This allowed early drizzle to change over to some light snow in White Plains.
Further north, snow showers overnight in the Buffalo area caused slippery roads and some car accidents. Authorities tell The Buffalo News that icy conditions caused a one-car accident in Buffalo and a multi-vehicle crash in Tonawanda, but there were no serious injuries.
There were also reports of power outages in Hamburg and Orchard Park.
The same system brought the earliest snow to the Chicago area since 2006. It wasn't enough to stick, but it did coat some cars.
And in western Pennsylvania, streets were covered because of the lake effect snow. Temperatures in Erie were well below freezing prior to daybreak.
