Winter's Fury: Storm Shuts Down D.C. and Beyond

A massive winter storm hit the U.S. Middle Atlantic on Monday, closing federal offices and schools in Washington, D.C. It brought a foot of snow to the Ohio Valley and Central Plains. Several states declared emergencies, and power outages and travel disruptions were widespread.

A massive winter storm swept across the U.S. Middle Atlantic states on Monday, forcing federal offices and schools in Washington, D.C., to close as over a foot of snow covered regions from the Ohio Valley to the Central Plains. The U.S. National Weather Service warned of significant snowfall in the nation's capital before the system moved out to sea Monday evening. Governors in states including Kansas, Kentucky, Arkansas, West Virginia, and Virginia have declared states of emergency in response to the severe weather.

Frigid Arctic air followed the storm, causing freezing rain and icy conditions from Illinois to Maryland and Virginia, creating hazardous driving conditions. The Central Plains remained in a deep freeze, with parts of Kansas experiencing wind chills between 5 to 25 degrees below zero. The cold is expected to linger, with daytime temperatures only reaching the mid-teens to lower 20s.

Despite the storm, U.S. Congress will proceed with certifying Donald Trump's presidential election, House Speaker Mike Johnson confirmed. However, federal offices and hundreds of schools, including those in Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Washington, and Philadelphia, are closed. PowerOutage.us reported over a quarter million homes and businesses without power, and flight tracking service Flightaware.com noted significant flight cancellations and delays, particularly impacting New York, Chicago, and Washington airports.

(With inputs from agencies.)