The harshest week of winter thus far has begun, kicking off with several inches of snow in much of Massachusetts. Overnight, a widespread 4-8 inches of snow fell across most of southern New England. Slightly lower amounts fell over extreme southeastern Massachusetts.

Tens of millions of residents along the East Coast are bracing for several inches of snow Sunday followed by dangerously cold temperatures that will grip much of the country from the Northern Plains to the tip of Maine.