A vortex of ice and howling wind left up to a foot of snow over parts of the Northeast on Thursday as the first major winter storm of 2018 barreled up the coast. Authorities throughout the region declared states of emergencies and canceled thousands of flights meant to ferry post-holiday travelers home.

Almost no part of the Eastern Seaboard was spared from frigid temperatures that plunged well below freezing, and snow fell from New England all the way down to Georgia and the Carolinas.

The National Weather Service in Boston said the worst of the storm had passed by Thursday evening, but left wind advisories in place through early Friday and the city canceled school for the second day in a row. Thousands of flights were canceled across the country on Thursday, and airlines pre-emptively canceled hundreds more on Friday.

Despite the blanket of snow, New York Citys LaGuardia Airport had reopened late Thursday, and John F. Kennedy Airport was expected to resume flights early Friday. Transportation officials in Boston were also digging out the citys train network and had restored service to several lines by Thursday evening.

But the storm did not leave the region unscathed. At least three deaths were attributed to the weather in North Carolina, Gov. Roy Cooper (D) said Thursday afternoon. At least 17 deaths around the country have been blamed on cold temperatures in recent days, The Associated Press reported .