1M still in dark after freak snowstorm

Most of the million U.S. Northeast homes and businesses still without power Tuesday after a freak snowstorm will get power back within 72 hours, officials said.At least 13 deaths were blamed on the weekend storm, which prompted emergency declarations from the governors of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts and halted some towns' Halloween trick-or-treating plans.President Barack Obama signed an emergency declaration for Connecticut Monday, ordering federal aid to supplement state and local response efforts.Among the dead was a 48-year-old Kent, N.Y., woman killed by a falling utility pole while she was out walking her dog, The (White Plains, N.Y.) Journal News reported.New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said he expected 95 percent of the 375,000 powerless customers in his state would have it restored by Thursday."I know if you are without power today, Thursday seems like a long time from now," he said.Temperatures were expected to be in the mid-50s Tuesday and approach 60 by Thursday. They were in the low to mid-40s overnight.Utilities in New York's Hudson Valley made restoration promises similar to Christie's to more than 270,000 customers in 13 counties north of New York City still in the dark after the freak storm dumped 1 to 2 feet in parts of the region.Central Hudson Gas & Electric Co. spokeswoman Denise VanBuren said the utility was working with vendors to get quantities of dry ice so customers would not lose food that thawed for lack of electricity.Many mid-Atlantic and New England schools were expected to reopen Tuesday after being closed Monday, although Springfield, Mass., school officials said classes would be canceled for the week.Many restaurants were also closed throughout the region and had to discard food.Red Cross, Salvation Army and other agency shelters were opened in at least four states. About 1,300 people stayed in Massachusetts shelters, state officials said.Most airlines and commuter trains were expected to have normal service Tuesday and most roads cleared.Amtrak said Monday service would still be disrupted Tuesday on Vermonter trains, which were to originate and terminate in New Haven, and Lake Shore Limited trains 448 and 449, which were canceled between Albany, N.Y., and Boston. Amtrak said bus transportation would operate in place of Lake Shore Limited trains.Western Massachusetts was hit the hardest by the storm, the National Weather Service said, with Peru, a town of 821 in the Berkshires 40 miles northwest of Springfield, getting 32 inches. But snowfall amounts of at least a foot were recorded from West Virginia to Maine and thousands lost power from New Hampshire to Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick urged patience as 400,000 utility customers waited for their power to be restored.State officials said 1,500 crews -- an unprecedented number -- were working to restore power, The Boston Globe reported. The officials cautioned some customers might not get their power back until Friday.Scores Massachusetts and Connecticut cities and towns canceled or postponed Halloween activities Monday night.Mayor Pedro Segarra of Hartford, where about 40 percent of the city still had no power, asked families to abstain from trick-or-treating. Gov. Dannel Malloy complied, saying no candy would be handed out at the Governor's Residence.While many people complained about the snow, Hunter Mountain, a popular ski destination in New York's Catskill Mountains, posted a large photo of a snow-covered red vintage pickup truck on its Web site, boasting, "Powder Alert! A Foot of Fresh Snow!"