Side streets throughout Boston and surrounding communities remained snow-covered and choked off by plows trying to clear major streets. Many schools were closed Monday, and the day’s weather could bring another twist. Rain could weigh down the already-heavy snow and cause local flooding where drains are blocked.

“Our expectation is to have people resume their ordinary schedules,” Governor Deval Patrick said.

Eight rapid-assessment teams toured hard-hit coastal communities from Quincy to Sandwich. Patrick said the effort by NStar to restore power to homes had been adequate, despite the number that remained without power.

Boston’s parking ban and snow emergency rules probably will remain in effect Monday morning

City officials urged residents to stay in and asked businesses to have employees work from home. Cars parked on main streets will be ticketed and towed. The MBTA said it will resume regular service Monday.

For residents of Clarence Street in Roxbury, like many smaller streets around the city, clearing cars from snowdrifts was just the first challenge. The entire length of the street was still covered with about 2 feet of snow Sunday. And plows clearing Dudley, the cross street, had piled snow 4 feet high at the end.

Jason Barros, 30, and a friend helped to clear a small area so a few cars could pull onto Clarence to park.

“Most of the streets are like this around here,” Barros said. “We’re plowing our own streets.”

He said a plow driver had come by and declared the street un-plowable. A front-end loader would be needed to haul out the snow.

Mayor Thomas M. Menino said clearing dead ends and unpassable side streets is a priority for the city. He asked private contractors and state emergency management officials for extra snow-plowing equipment.

The city also received 20 pieces of equipment from Vermont, city spokeswoman Dot Joyce said.

Until the heavy lifting is done, the city’s snow emergency and parking ban remain in effect.

All down M Street in South Boston, puffs of snow peppered the air as people shoveled. Greg Polson stood on top of his car as he attempted to free it.

“I didn’t think I’d need my car for a while, but then I found out it’s supposed to rain on Monday and realized I needed to get this out before it turns into ice,” said Polson, 26, leaning on his shovel to catch his breath. Two hours into the dig, his car was barely visible.

The storm — which brought blizzard conditions with it but was not officially declared a blizzard as of Sunday — dumped more than 2 feet of snow across much of Middlesex and Norfolk counties. The highest totals were in Worcester County, where 31 inches fell in Spencer. Boston received nearly 25 inches, the fifth-highest snowfall ever for the city.

The storm prompted a two-day shutdown of the MBTA, but many buses and T lines were operating again Sunday evening. The entire Orange and Red lines were running, and most of the Green and Blue line operations were back. Bus service was resuming slowly.

Planes once again were flying in and out of Logan International Airport, which closed from late Friday night until 11 p.m. on Saturday, the longest the airport has been closed in at least 10 years. Logan had two runways open for most of Sunday and operated a full schedule of international flights.

Several airlines, including JetBlue Airways, Boston’s biggest carrier, reported canceling about 40 percent of their flights on Sunday as they repositioned planes and crews after the storm. Most airlines expected to be fully up and running Monday.

Amtrak and several bus lines also restored limited service between New York and Boston on Sunday.

In seaside communities like Scituate, normal operations were further off. The sun was a welcome sight Sunday, melting ice that had encased power lines and tree branches while providing a bit of warmth after another frigid night.

As National Grid crews cleared trees and wires, gas and building inspectors examined structures that may have sustained damage in the storm.

People walking their dogs maneuvered around kayaks and rowboats deposited in the street by the ocean.