Late-season winter storm leaves 5 dead in Northeast

— -- Falling temperatures and icy conditions were major concerns in much of the Northeast today after a late-winter snowstorm that stretched from the nation's capital to New England halted school, work and travel for millions of Americans. Five people have died as a result of the severe conditions.

Tuesday's powerful nor'easter left much of the region paralyzed, though anticipated snowfall in several major cities fell short of estimates.

With less than a week left in what has mostly been a mild winter, the storm dumped between 1 and 2 feet of snow in many areas. There was more than a foot in Portland, Maine, about 22 inches in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and as much as 41 inches in Bridgewater, New York, which is between Syracuse and Albany.

Winds were also severe, with 79 mph gusts recorded in Wellfleet, Massachusetts.

But several cities along the Interstate 95 corridor were largely spared from the storm's worst effects, including Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York City.

Even where the weather forecast fell short of expectations, it exacted a heavy human cost in a few cases.

An elderly man was struck by a snow plow and killed in East Hartford, Connecticut; a 16-year-old girl whose sedan skidded out of control died after striking a tree in Gilford, New Hampshire; a 47-year-old man died of a heart attack while shoveling outside of his parents’ home in New York City's Staten Island; a 38-year-old suffered cardiac arrest while shoveling snow in Newburgh, New York; and a driver, age unknown, lost control of his car as he traveled on a snowy roadway in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania.

Because the storm shifted inland from its originally projected path, the New York City-area got notably less snow than expected. But many areas were under special weather advisories this morning as falling temperatures threatened to turn the wintry mix into a slippery mess, sparking concerns about black ice for morning drivers and slick sidewalks for pedestrians.

The National Weather Service issued a special weather statement for northern Vermont and New York, urging people in the area not to travel.

"Travel is not recommended this morning," the agency said in a statement early this morning. "Extremely difficult travel conditions continue through the morning commute due to snow covered and slippery roads and poor visibilities from snowfall and blowing snow."

The nor'easter is moving out of the United States today, forecasters said, but the gusting winds and frigid air will linger for the rest of the week. Winter weather alerts were in place from New England to Florida.

"It is still windy for much of the Northeast today with winds gusting 30 to 45 mph," ABC News senior meteorologist Max Golembo said. "This cold is not going away."

ABC News' Max Golembo, Rachel Katz and Darren Reynolds contributed to this report, which was supplemented by The Associated Press' reporting.