Christmas travelers across the U.S. were left stranded Monday as a fierce winter storm grounded planes and halts trains.

In New York City alone, more than 1,400 flights were cancelled, and Amtrack cancelled travel between New York and Massachusetts. The blizzard has caused headaches along the East Coast.

Although it was a winter playground for people in Durham, N.C., farther West in Asheville, the serious side of the storm damaged water mains.

"Oh man, this is the worst day not to have water. Can't take a shower, can't cook, boil water," said Anthony Johnson, an Ashville resident.

Workers battled ice on the roads and on powerlines not only in North Carolina but also in neighboring states -- including some locations where residents aren't used to getting so much snow.

Airports from New York to Atlanta cancelled thousands of flights. Nevertheless, some travelers remained optimistic.

"The best is to just keep a positive attitude because there is really not that much we can do about it," said Alyda Hulstrand, a stranded airline traveler.

In Philadelphia, the snow disappointed thousands of football fans hoping to see the Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles play Sunday.

"I think the number one issue, absolutely, all along, was public safety and the safety of fans, workers, vendors, suppliers, really everybody," Eagles Chief Operating Officer Don Smolenski told Bloomberg News.

"Trying to have people come down in the conditions that are out there now, white-out conditions, that just wasn't safe," he added.

Meanwhile, several people stranded by the snow storm took advantage of the downtime. One soldier, who served in Afghanistan, and his family built a patriotic snowman.

"The flag actually flew over CTFJ-82 Headquarters, and I flew it for my family members over here that was supporting me," said Josh Buemi, a Ft. Bragg soldier.