A second major snowstorm in a week swept up the US East Coast on Wednesday, that caused historic snowfalls leading to the shut down of US government offices for a third straight day and paralysed Mid-Atlantic airports.
Driving conditions got so bad that officials in Washington and some nearby suburbs pulled even the snow ploughs off the roads.
The longest weather-related government shutdown ever was in 1996, when employees did not have to go to work for a full week.
Up to 16 inches (40 centimetres) fell in parts of Western Maryland, while Reagan National Airport in Washington had 9 inches (23 centimetres) by midday.
Those amounts were on top of totals up to 3 feet (a metre) in some places from the weekend blizzard that pounded the region with snow.
The wind was blowing in gusts up to 45 miles (72 kilometres) an hour in Washington.
Driving conditions got so bad that officials in Washington and some nearby suburbs pulled even the snow ploughs off the roads.
The federal government was closed for a third straight day. The longest weather-related government shutdown ever was in 1996, when employees did not have to go to work for a full week.
Airports and train stations were almost deserted as most flights and train services were cancelled the day before.
The few travellers who made it to Washington's Union Station faced bleak conditions as they attempted to get to their homes or hotels.
Travel by air was equally frustrating, as passengers up and down the Eastern seaboard faced massive flight cancellations.
Because Wednesday's cancellations come after days of airport closures following the first blizzard, travellers are looking at frustratingly long waits for travel.
New York City, which managed to avoid last week's blizzard, was hit this time around.
Flakes were coming down fast during the day and the National Weather Service issued blizzard warnings, predicting 10 to 16 inches (25 to 40 centimetres) of snowfall.
More than one million students in the New York City school system enjoyed a day off on Wednesday because of the snow, only the third in six years.
The United Nations also closed for the day.
For many, the break from school and work was a welcome treat, providing a chance to play in the snow, or a ski trip.
At Blue Mountain ski resort in central Pennsylvania, skiiers and snowboarders were in their element as they took to the slopes on fresh powder.
Driving conditions got so bad that officials in Washington and some nearby suburbs pulled even the snow ploughs off the roads.
The longest weather-related government shutdown ever was in 1996, when employees did not have to go to work for a full week.
Up to 16 inches (40 centimetres) fell in parts of Western Maryland, while Reagan National Airport in Washington had 9 inches (23 centimetres) by midday.
Those amounts were on top of totals up to 3 feet (a metre) in some places from the weekend blizzard that pounded the region with snow.
The wind was blowing in gusts up to 45 miles (72 kilometres) an hour in Washington.
Driving conditions got so bad that officials in Washington and some nearby suburbs pulled even the snow ploughs off the roads.
The federal government was closed for a third straight day. The longest weather-related government shutdown ever was in 1996, when employees did not have to go to work for a full week.
Airports and train stations were almost deserted as most flights and train services were cancelled the day before.
The few travellers who made it to Washington's Union Station faced bleak conditions as they attempted to get to their homes or hotels.
Travel by air was equally frustrating, as passengers up and down the Eastern seaboard faced massive flight cancellations.
Because Wednesday's cancellations come after days of airport closures following the first blizzard, travellers are looking at frustratingly long waits for travel.
New York City, which managed to avoid last week's blizzard, was hit this time around.
Flakes were coming down fast during the day and the National Weather Service issued blizzard warnings, predicting 10 to 16 inches (25 to 40 centimetres) of snowfall.
More than one million students in the New York City school system enjoyed a day off on Wednesday because of the snow, only the third in six years.
The United Nations also closed for the day.
For many, the break from school and work was a welcome treat, providing a chance to play in the snow, or a ski trip.
At Blue Mountain ski resort in central Pennsylvania, skiiers and snowboarders were in their element as they took to the slopes on fresh powder.
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