A rare October snowstorm has caused three deaths and cut power to more than 3 million homes and businesses in several northeastern U.S. states.

As much as 30 centimeters of snow fell in parts of Pennsylvania, Connecticut and New Jersey, setting records and forcing officials to declare states of emergency.

The storm also severely affected transportation with scores of flights canceled, roads closed and rail services disrupted.

More than 100 passengers on a JetBlue Airlines flight were stranded on the tarmac in Connecticut for more than seven hours Saturday without food, water or working lavatories. They were on a flight from Florida to New Jersey that was diverted due to the storm.

The deaths were caused by storm-related accidents in Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Massachusetts.

One of the hardest hit areas was New Jersey where more than 650,000 customers are without power. It could be several days before all services are restored throughout the multi-state region.