Unusually early storm dumps up to a foot of snow in parts of U.S.

Parts of the East Coast were digging out Sunday from up to a foot of snow, with significant snowfall reported from South Carolina to Maine.

By Sunday afternoon, 12 inches of snow had fallen in Bangor, Maine, with more expected overnight.

Thousands of people lost power across New England as the storm brought high winds, heavy surf and snow. On Cape Cod, more than 7,500 customers were still in the dark Sunday evening and dealing with downed trees and flooded roads.

Mount Washington, N.H., recorded wind speeds of 98 mph and a low temperature Sunday morning of 12 degrees Fahrenheit.

Utility companies in Connecticut reported more than 8,000 outages Sunday afternoon.

Winter storm warnings were issued Sunday in western Montana, southeast Utah and Colorado. A freeze warning was also issued for north and central Georgia until Monday morning.

On Saturday, the Columbia, South Carolina area saw its earliest snow on record, according to the National Weather Service, after a week of temperatures in the 80s. In all, the accumulation measured two to six inches.

CBS affiliate WLTX in Columbia reported that the city opened its cold-weather shelter Saturday and Sunday nights, giving local residents a warm place to sleep, and may do so again Monday night. Overnight temperatures fell into the 30s.

In Tennessee, Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials said most of the park's roads will remain closed until Monday because of record snow and ice.

According to the National Weather Service, Mount LeConte recorded 22 inches of snow as of Sunday, marking a new daily snowfall record for the park.