Some made the best of Sunday's major snowfall in the region. From left are Ava, Ethan, Theo, Moriah and Jordy Groeneveld in Quinnesec. (Hannah Groeneveld photo)

One of the most-anticipated winter storms in perhaps decades slammed into the region early Sunday, dropping a foot or more of snow and shutting down almost all activity across the Upper Peninsula and northern Wisconsin.

Local residents mostly hunkered down at home Sunday as the storm rolled in, having been warned well in advance that some roads may not be cleared until Tuesday and perhaps even Wednesday as the snow and high winds were expected to extend into Monday.

A blizzard warning remains in effect until 7 p.m. Monday for Dickinson, Iron and Menominee counties, according to the National Weather Service.

The Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office by Sunday afternoon called for motorists to avoid all travel due to the high winds and blowing snow until the storm clears the region, noting some roads are considered impassable. The Marinette County Highway Commissioner also strongly urged residents not to travel unless absolutely necessary.

The western U.P. was under the same blizzard warning into Monday evening, while the warning was not expected to lift for Baraga and Marquette counties until 2 a.m. Eastern time Tuesday and 8 a.m. for Delta, Alger, Luce and Schoolcraft counties.

Some of the snowfall totals filed with the NWS on Sunday included 11.5 inches at 11:30 a.m. in Iron Mountain and 10.5 inches at noon in Norway, well before more came in the afternoon. Spalding in Menominee County reported 26 inches at 5:30 p.m. Crivitz, Wis., in Marinette County, had 20 inches by 1:30 p.m.

The NWS predicted another 1 to 2 feet of snow could fall overnight into Monday in Dickinson, Iron and Menominee counties.

The severe weather conditions prevented printing and delivering Monday’s Daily News, the Daily Press in Escanaba, The Mining Journal in Marquette and the Daily Mining Gazette in Houghton. But subscribers can access a digital version of Monday’s edition and stories at the newspapers’ respective websites.

Schools across the region canceled classes at least for Monday and some businesses announced they will remain shuttered for the day as well, such as all offices of The Stephenson National Bank & Trust. All Michigan state offices in the Upper Peninsula and 13 northern Lower Peninsula counties will be closed Monday.

It was unclear Sunday whether several governmental meetings scheduled for Monday, including Iron Mountain and Kingsford city councils, were still taking place.

The cities of Iron Mountain and Kingsford will not collect garbage on Monday, due to the weather. Iron Mountain will delay collections by one day from the normal schedule each day this week, while Kingsford’s schedule will be announced.

The city of Norway has issued a snow emergency and is prohibiting parking on city streets until 7 a.m. Wednesday.

Main Street parking in Norway will be permitted on alternating sides beginning at 8 a.m. Monday between Fourth and Railroad avenues. Parking will be allowed on the east side of Main Street on Monday and on the west side on Tuesday.

The storm was part of a system that swept across much of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa, bringing what could be record-setting snowfall.

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Daily News news editor Jim Anderson and other staff members contributed to this report.