BOSTON -- The region's first winter storm of the season brought a messy mix of snow, ice or rain to the Bay State early Monday.

In areas around the Merrimack Valley and north to New Hampshire, residents got 4 to 6 inches of snow, while in the Boston area there was a mix of sleet and snow. Down on Cape Cod and the South Shore, most of the precipitation was in the form of rain.

Most of the precipitation ended by 7 a.m. Temperatures were hanging in the 30s around the Boston area early in the day, creeping up to the 40s by midday.

Temperatures were colder, in the mid-20s, further west toward Worcester and interior portions of the state. In Orange, Mass., it was 29 degrees at noon but temperatures were fluctuating enough for there to be shifts between snow and sleet all morning.

"I woke up this morning for work and did not think I would be shoveling until I looked out my window. But ... could be worse. Could be 3 feet of snow," Andrew Lapamardo, of Worcester, said.

Even though it wasn't a heavy snowfall, it was enough to muck up the morning commute for many. One angry motorist complained that plowing on the roads was less than satisfactory.

"I don't what we pay our taxes for, but we need to get some sand or the plows up here," he said.

A two-hour school delay in some communities gave children a bit of an extended weekend, but many were out helping their parents shovel and scrape ice from windshields.

In the Springfield, Mass., and Hartford, Conn., areas, there was a coating of ice on some trees and power lines, which could cause power outage problems later in the day as winds pick up, Storm Team 5 meteorologist J.C. Monahan said.

The storm left high winds in its wake. There is a wind advisory from 4 p.m. to 7 a.m. on Tuesday with gusts up to 55 mph in some areas.

Forecasters said the storm created ice on the roadways, particularly outside the Interstate 495 belt and some areas were expected to have black ice on the roads by the evening commute.

Residents were advised to be on the lookout on side roads and sidewalks.

Authorities reported numerous accidents related to the wet roads and state police lowered the speed limit on the Massachusetts Turnpike to 40 mph from the Berkshires to Route 128 in Weston.

Massachusetts Highway Department spokesman Erik Abell said about 2,200 plows, sanders and other equipment were deployed beginning Sunday afternoon. He said crews appeared to be doing a good job of keeping highways passable.

Many school systems cancelled or delayed the start of classes Monday.

In the Brockton area and on to the South Shore there was only .5 inches of snow, while toward the northern portions of the state, between 4 and 5 inches were recorded. Significant snowfall of up to about 6 inches was seen between the Worcester Hills east to the Merrimack Valley.

The storm was causing accidents all across the area, with a jacknifed tractor-trailer on Route 290 eastbound in the Worcester area and a rollover in Duxbury on Route 3. Motorists were advised to use caution as roads were expected to be slick and difficult to navigate.

Winter storm warnings were in effect for northwest Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire, where 3 to 6 inches of snow plus some mixed precipitation was forecast.

Ski areas across the region were happy to see the snow after a dismal winter last year.

At Nashoba Valley ski area in Westford, Mass., three out of 10 lifts and four of the trails were open after 3 inches fell. It was enough to close the schools but not enough to cover all the trails, which still showed grass peeking through.

In Lowell, Mass., students were making snow men and snow forts. Some parents for whom school was canceled brought their children to the ski area just to get them out of the house.

"We were together Saturday, Sunday and he's and active kid. I want to get him outside," Vicki McGrath said.

Some snowboarding teens were thrilled to get the day off from school.

"I've been waiting all year for this season," Anthony Tran, of Chelmsford, said.

Even a teacher was hitting the slopes.

"It's a long winter in New England, so you may as well get out and have some fun," he said.

At least 10 weather-related traffic deaths were attributed to the storm as it swept across the Midwest.

Winter storm warnings were in effect into Monday in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine and into Tuesday in parts of New York state.

The National Weather Service said a foot of snow was possible in the mountains of northern New England, with the potential for 20 inches in northern Maine. In higher elevations of upstate New York, 13 inches of snow was possible. Lake-effect snow and high winds were forecast for parts of western New York.

Hundreds of flights into the New York City area's three main airports -- Kennedy, Newark Liberty and LaGuardia -- were delayed as long as two hours Sunday because of wind and ice.

Airlines at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport worked to move travelers stranded when hundreds of flights were canceled when the storm struck there on Saturday. Flights also were canceled Saturday at airports in Des Moines and Milwaukee as blowing snow reduced visibility.

The storm created snow and ice from the Plains across the Upper Midwest on Saturday. Before the storm hit the Plains and Midwest, it had dumped up to 2 feet of snow in the mountains of western Colorado.