Snow in the northeast. Power outages in California

Heavy snow, rain and gusty winds from two storms that battered the Northeast and California have receded Wednesday but it still threatens disaster on both coasts with flooding, power outages and travel woes.

Both areas are bracing for more snow, rain and other winter weather all day Wednesdaythough most winter storm warnings were lifted during the day.

Digging was underway in places like Peterborough, New Hampshire, and Ashby, Massachusetts, where nearly 3 feet of thick, wet snow fell. At least 2 feet fell in parts of northern New York and the Catskill Mountains, the National Weather Service said.

Meanwhile, parts of northern and central California hit by the latest 'atmospheric river' could see additional snow accumulations on Wednesday, the weather service said. In recent months, California has been targeted by 10 atmospheric rivers – large plumes of moisture from the Pacific Ocean – and powerful storms fed by Arctic air that have produced blizzard conditions.

“This powerful storm is expected to produce heavy mountain snow and gusty winds from the Sierra to the central/northern Rockies,” meteorologist Paul Ziegenfelder said Wednesday.

Developments:

►Many of the hundreds of districts that closed schools Tuesday reopened Wednesday, though some were operating on delayed schedules.

►New York, Vermont and Massachusetts it was the three northeastern states that recorded 3 feet of snow.

►An inflatable sports dome collapsed in Goffstown, New Hampshire, after 6 inches of snow. No injuries were reported.

►Several cows were killed when a barn collapsed on a dairy farm in Dracut, Massachusetts. The owners of Shaw Farm said no staff members were injured.

WHAT IS NORTH EASTER? Storms can hit the East Coast with snow, affecting millions of people

WHAT IS A POLAR VORTEX? Get an in-depth look at how it could affect winter weather in the US.

Nearly 160,000 homes and businesses across New York and New England were still without power Wednesday afternoon, and nearly 180,000 were in the dark in California, most of them in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Power had been restored to many customers in the Northeast by Wednesday night, but more than 50,000 were still facing outages in New England. In California, the number of outages was nearly halved Wednesday afternoon.

Unitil, which supplies electricity and natural gas to New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Maine, expected a “multi-day restoration effort,” spokesman Alec O'Meara warned.

In California, “the most intense part of the storm has mostly passed,” Pacific Electric & Gas said on Twitter. “Crews are working through difficult conditions to restore customers safely and as quickly as possible.”

Nearly 2,000 flights were delayed or canceled at New Jersey's Boston Logan, LaGuardia and Newark airports on Tuesday as the winter storm slammed into the Northeast. As of Wednesday afternoon, more than 700 flights had been delayed or canceled at New York's LaGuardia and Kennedy airports alone.

Across California, about 27,000 people remained under evacuation orders and more than 61,000 received warnings to be prepared to evacuate due to the effects of the weather, according to the California Office of Emergency Services.

On the Central Coast, workers trucked in rock to plug a broken river dam amid steady rain and wind. Destructive winds gusting over 70 mph blew out windows and there were many reports of downed trees.

Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Tuesday for three additional counties: Alpine, Orange and Trinity. They join 40 counties that have already declared a state of emergency since a series of severe winter storms began rolling through the state in recent months. At Newsom's request, President Joe Biden issued a presidential emergency declaration last week authorizing federal aid to support state and local storm response.

A winter storm warning was lifted Wednesday morning for Pennsylvania, New York and parts of New England, where additional snow accumulations of up to 10 inches were expected. Winds in the area were expected to gust up to 45 mph.

The National Weather Service warned that travel in the area may still be difficult and the weight of snow on tree branches is expected to cause more power outages. If people must travel, they should have an extra flashlight, food and water in their vehicles, officials advise.

Some New Englanders were surprised by the depth of the snow: “It just snowed and snowed and snowed,” said Jeff Sittles, a supervisor at a builder who lives in Peterborough, New Hampshire. “My wife and I were helping some of the neighbors dig it up. We literally had to shovel five or six different times to keep it from basically being up to our chests.”

Settles, who grew up in Leominster, Mass., recalled the blizzards there in the late 1970s. “I would say this is the most snow I've ever seen in my entire life,” he said Wednesday.

Easter winds through New York leaving thousands without power

About 100,000 power outages were reported after Easter broke out in New York, threatening heavy snow in many states.

Damien Henderson, USA TODAY

Cold temperatures blanketed a swath of the Southeast from Arkansas to the Carolinas on Wednesday morningand another round of frost was forecast for early Thursday in some states.

A freeze warning was in effect Thursday morning for parts of it Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Temperatures as low as the mid to upper 20s were expected again, according to the weather service.

• What is the difference between a frozen watch and warning? A freeze watch is “issued when there is a potential for significant, extended freezing temperatures,” according to the weather service. But a freeze warning comes when those temperatures are “expected.”

WHAT IS AN ATMOSPHERIC RIVER? These rivers of water vapor can stretch for thousands of miles.

WHAT DEFINES A SNOW STORM? Heavy snow and strong winds are expected to sweep the country.

A storm that creates an atmospheric river spreads across the state, AccuWeather forecasters said.

More snow was expected in parts of the Golden State late Wednesday. Snow accumulations of up to 10 inches were possible at elevations above 6,000 feet in Western Plumas County and surrounding areas, and 20 inches were possible in areas above 8,000 feet. Winds could reach up to 70 mph.

A flood watch was in effect until noon Wednesday for parts of Los Angeles County and other parts of Southern California, and heavy rain could flood rivers and streams. The National Weather Service warned that “widespread street flooding” and possible mudslides and rockslides are possible.

The weather service said California will see light rain this weekend, followed by another major storm next week.

The storm ends water restrictions for some Southern California residents

About 7 million Southern Californians saw drought-related weather restrictions eased Wednesday after the state's 11th flash flood of the season left parts of the state soaked.

Southern California Metropolitan Water District remove the restrictions, which included limiting outdoor watering to one day a week in parts of Los Angeles, Ventura and San Bernardino counties. The restrictions were imposed amid a historic drought.

Michael McNutt, spokesman for the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District, said the end of restrictions in Southern California is good news, but warned people to continue to conserve water even in non-drought years.

“We all know the next drought is just around the corner,” he said Wednesday. “We need to treat the water that comes out of our taps as the liquid gold that it is.”

Contributed by The Associated Press

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