Storm dumps snow on Washington, knocks out power in Mid-Atlantic

A winter storm sweeping across the U.S. Mid-Atlantic is dropping heavy snow on Washington D.C., shuttering schools and federal offices and knocking out power to more than one million people. 

The region from the southern Appalachians through the nation’s capital and into southern New Jersey could get 4 to 8 inches of snow (10 to 20 centimeters) and up to a foot is possible in some areas, according to the National Weather Service. 

“It’s snowing pretty well here in D.C. and the immediate area,” said Chris Strong, a warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service. “New year, new season, we finally got some cold weather.”

A winter storm warning is in effect from northeast Georgia to central New Jersey, and about 190 flights out of Reagan National Airport have been cancelled, or 46% of the total, according to Flightaware.com. As the sprawling system heads northeast, it has left more than 760,000 homes and businesses without electricity, primarily in North Carolina and Virgina, according to Poweroutage.us, which tracks outages from local utilities.

Public schools and federal offices were closed for the day in D.C., with the reduced traffic making it easier for work crews to keep roads clear, according to Strong. 

“If you don’t have to travel, it’s best to stay put for the rest of the morning and wait for the plow trucks to do their job,” said Nicole LoBiondo, a meteorologist at AccuWeather Inc. Conditions will improve in the afternoon, she said. 

New York City, just north of the storm’s path, has a 50% chance of light snow before 4 p.m., the weather service said. Long Island could face heavier snow since it’s east of the city, with the bulk of the storm passing south of New York City out in the open ocean, Strong said. The city also faces a potential mix of rain and snow on Wednesday.