CENTURY, Fla. — A treacherous mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain turned morning commutes to icy misery Tuesday for many returning from a long holiday weekend in the Northeast, a day after suspected twisters tore through parts of the South.

At least three deaths were reported on slick roads, all in Virginia, and motorists battled hazardous road conditions over a wide area from the Mid-Atlantic states through Pennsylvania to northern New England.

In the West, California and Arizona braced for more record warm temperatures after basking in the high 80s and low 90s on Monday. Millions along the East Coast, meanwhile, were still shivering from a deep freeze.

In Washington, the federal government was opening three hours late after freezing rain coated the capital city in ice — atop the several inches of snow that fell Monday. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management, which sets leave for 300,000 federal workers, said employees also could opt for unscheduled leave or telework.

Messy snow, sleet and freezing rain made driving hazardous around the Northeast. Separate tractor-trailer crashes within miles of each other shut the Thruway in upstate New York near Albany for a while Tuesday morning. Authorities later reopened most lanes.

In northeastern Pennsylvania, a crash involving several cars and tractor-trailers is caused a pileup that closed Interstate 81 before dawn Tuesday. Only minor injuries were reported. Roads in the area were icy after recent snow turned to freezing rain.

Buffalo’s public works department called in extra crews to remove fresh overnight snowfall.