A snowstorm shut down public schools and gave U.S. federal employees in Washington, D.C., a snow day as six inches of the white stuff is expected to fall throughout the day, the Associated Press reported.
So far, over 1,000 flights have been cancelled, effecting many government workers who fly in and out of Washington throughout the week, and many eastern airports are announcing delays up to five hours long, according to the AP. Flight delays were also reported in New York and Newark, New Jersey.
Public Schools in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and parts of Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia and Kentucky were all closed, according to the AP. Numerous schools in Connecticut were also shut down, with the rest planning on early dismissal.
By daybreak in Washington, snow was heavily falling, but traffic was a breeze due to workers staying home and off the roads, the AP reported. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management said non-emergency federal employees were also granted an excused absence.
Fairfax County in Virginia, near Washington, D.C., had almost no traffic and public transportation was basically deserted, according to the AP.
"I wish it was like this all the time - minus the snow,'' Maelin Traylor, 28, of Springfield, Virginia, told the AP. "The traffic was wonderful." Another commuter from the town agreed and said the snow was "nothing."
"It's melting when it's hitting," local commuter Jean Walsh told the AP. "I don't think they should have closed the government. It's no big deal and I've got work to do."
Traffic outside Washington was also light with temperatures around freezing. Highways which had been plowed were driveable, but conditions became worse nearing 8 a.m. when the pace of the snow falling increased, the AP reported.
Other Washington workers were not so lucky and made their way to work in the heavy snow and rain.
"I worked for another accounting firm, and it took a lot for us to actually have a shutdown due to inclement weather," Harris Sidiq, an accountant, told the AP while walking to work Tuesday morning. "I guess it's just the industry. That's how it is. You work, work, work until the world stops. Then you might be able to stay home."
