A massive winter storm battered the East Coast Monday, delaying air travel, shutting down schools and making the morning commute treacherous as snow piled up on roadways.

The late storm that roared out of the Southeast has caused four deaths in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and on New York's Long Island.

New York City schools were closed for the first time in five years. More than 10 inches of snow was on the ground in New Jersey's Atlantic and Cumberland counties by 7 a.m. Monday. South Carolina got 8 inches of snow.

The snowfall was expected to continue into the afternoon throughout the Northeast with heavy snow in excess of 4 inches in Boston, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

Weather Channel meteorologist Mark Ressler said "the storm will be over by midnight, so Tuesday will be much quieter."