Winter Storm Brings Snow, Cold To The Northeast.......MASS. BURIED BY 21 INCHES of SNOW.....Blizzard Cancels Thousands Of Flights... Temperatures Plummet... Schools, Businesses Close. (VIDEO/PHOTOS)

BOSTON (AP) — A blustering post-Christmas snowstorm that has dropped nearly 2 feet of snow just north of Boston, shut down major highways in New York and forced U.S. airlines to cancel thousands of flights nationwide is continuing its bitter cold journey through the Northeast.

The brutal weather — which brought plummeting temperatures to some areas that forecasters predicted could see highs just above zero and wind chill readings of minus 10 degrees and colder by early Friday — dumped 21 inches of snow in Boxford, Mass., late Thursday night and 18 inches in parts of western New York near Rochester. In Central Park early Friday, the National Weather Service said just over 3 inches of snow had fallen..

The snowfall, frigid cold and stiff winds extended Christmas break for some students while posing the first test for New York City's new mayor and perhaps the last challenge for Boston's outgoing one. U.S. airlines canceled more than 2,300 flights due to snowfall and low visibility. Read more