(CNN) On Friday, Cleveland residents enjoyed a balmy day with a high of 60 degrees.

Just 24 hours later, the temperature sat at a frigid 18 degrees.

The Ohio city was among several in the Midwest, Southeast and Northeast that saw sharply plunging temperatures followed by freezing rain, sleet and snow on Friday night and into Saturday.

Nearly 17 million people, in places from northern Pennsylvania to Maine, remained under winter storm warnings or winter weather advisories late Saturday morning -- about half the number affected earlier in the day.

A cold front caused dramatic temperature drops of 40 to 50 degrees in many cities in the storm's path, CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar said. From Friday to Saturday, temperatures in Nashville plummeted from 62 to 29 degrees; in Washington, from 64 to 32 degrees; and in Buffalo, New York, from 60 to 11 degrees, she said.

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