More snow expected as winter storm brings Washington to a halt

Federal government shuts down for the day and Congress suspends hearings with worst of snow due Wednesday afternoon
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A pedestrian walks down Pennsylvania Ave near the White House
A pedestrian walks down Pennsylvania Ave near the White House. Photograph: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP

The weather achieved on Wednesday what Republicans have been threatening for the last two years without success: a shutdown in Washington.

The federal government closed down for the day, even though the predicted snow storm has so far turned out to be moderate.

A few inches of snow did fall on the capital overnight and in the morning but it was wet and did not lie, leaving roads relatively clear. The worst of the storm was predicted to hit around midday.

The US government closed its offices. Congress postponed a series of hearings while the Pentagon and the White House cancelled press briefings.

Schools in the capital were closed in expectation of a serious storm, and hundreds of flights from the city's two airports faced disruption. Washington's Metro was operating but buses were providing only a limited service.

Power companies appealed to customers to get in touch, saying they would be unaware of outages unless consumers informed them.  Extra repair crews were on standby, they said.

"Whenever you're talking about that much heavy, wet snow and those winds of 20-30 mph with some higher gusts, there's a concern for numerous power outages," National Weather Service meteorologist Jared Klein in Sterling, Virginia, told the Associated Press.

Areas round the capital and elsewhere on the east coast took the brunt of the storm.

AP reported that in the the midwest, the storm brought 10in of snow to Chicago, while schools were closed in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois. More than 1,100 flights were cancelled at Chicago's two major airports, prompting delays and closures at others.

There is concern about the impact of snow and rain on the areas along the Jersey Shore still recovering from superstorm Sandy.

Barack Obama, soon after becoming president, joked about Washington closing down in the face of a snow storm, contrasting the feeble amount of snow at the time  with his hometown Chicago and the ability of Chicago to keep going in much worse conditions. Many DC residents have never quite forgiven him.

The federal government has been criticised in the past for being too slow to close its offices, creating gridlock in the city as staff try to get in or out, even as snow plows fight to clear the roads.

The capital did suffer in a blizzard in 2010, the so-called "snowmaggedon" when 20in fell, bringing the city to a halt for several days and leaving hundreds of thousands without power. There was also a sudden evening snowstorm in 2011 that led to lots of road accidents, some of which were fatal.

Among hearings at the House scheduled for Wednesday that have been cancelled is one on 'Policy-Relevant Climate Issues in Context'.  A Pentagon briefing from Afghanistan has also been cancelled.

Former Florida governor Jeb Bush had been scheduled to speak at the Cato thinktank about his new book on immigration policy. A spokesperson for Cato said: "Unfortunately, due to weather, Mr Bush cannot make it to DC, and the event has been canceled. Sorry for any inconvenience, and we will let you know if it gets rescheduled."

Given the controversy he has created through sudden policy flip-flops, Bush, a potential contender for the presidency in 2016, may be grateful for the postponement.

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