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© msnbc.msn.com
A powerful spring storm dumped snow across parts of the Northeast overnight -- including 10 inches in one town -- and cut power to more than 50,000 customers in Pennsylvania and upstate New York, with more snow expected during the day.

"Winter storm warnings are in effect from the higher elevations of West Virginia northward to western New York," the National Weather Service stated.

Most of the snow was falling across upstate New York, West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania, where the weather service was predicting the heaviest snowfall "of over an inch per hour" would occur through midday Monday.

In addition, flood watches were in effect in parts of eastern New York and northern Maine, the weather service stated.

Strong winds accompanied the storm overnight, with LaGuardia Airport in New York City recording a 54 mph gust. Winds hit 40 mph in Boston and 44 in Groton, Conn.

By early Monday morning, 10 inches of snow was reported in Newfield, in western New York, while 5 inches had fallen in Boswell, Pa., weather.com reported.
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© The Weather Channel
"Snowfall amounts of 6 to 12 inches with localized amounts as high as 15 inches will be possible across areas from the higher terrain of West Virginia and western Maryland northward to the shores of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario in New York," the weather service stated.

The heavy snow was weighing down trees, some of which snapped and cut power lines.

In western Pennsylvania, some schools were closed Monday morning, the Associated Press reported.

On Sunday, drenching rain prompted the Boston Red Sox to postpone a night game against the New York Yankees.

The precipitation should help ease what appeared to be a spreading drought in the Northeast.

"We're down 7 or 8 inches," weather service forecaster Charlie Foley told the Associated Press. "This won't completely wipe out the deficit but it will certainly help."