Story highlights Shelters are open for 215,000 without power in Virginia 
 
 A coastal flood warning is in effect for Massachusetts 
 
 Virginia's governor declares a state of emergency 
 
 They'd hoped to trade political potshots for wet snowballs. 
 
 Instead, the storm billed as "Snowquester" is turning out to be nothing more than a big wet blanket for members of the Washington D.C. Snowball Fight Association. The group had planned a big showdown in DuPont Circle, where a few years ago 3,000 people turned out for a humdinger of a fight. 
 
 But where 5 to 10 inches of wet snow was supposed to fall on DuPont Circle, not even slush was accumulating Wednesday afternoon, said organizer Michael Lipin. 
 
 "Quite a letdown," he said. 
 
 While the storm was dumping plenty of snow in other places, Washington was getting just fractions of an inch, said CNN meteorologist Sean Morris. 
 
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 In fact, the National Weather Service dropped its winter storm warning for the Washington area Wednesday afternoon. 
 
 "It's just not panning out to be the storm we'd thought it would be," Morris said. 
 
 In nearby Virginia, however, things were quite different. 
 
 Gov. Bob McDonnell declared a state of emergency, state police extended shifts and the National Guard called up 100 troops for snow duty as inches of wet, heavy snow fell across parts of the state. 
 
 Authorities opened shelters for the 215,000 Virginians without power, according to the Virginia Department of Emergency Management. 
 
 Transportation officials reported particularly nasty conditions on many secondary and some primary routes in 15 central and northern counties, with deep snow or ice covering the pavement. State and many county offices closed early. 
 
 About 4,200 utility workers were in the field trying to deal with outages, Rodney Blevins of Dominion Power said during a news conference. 
 
 How do you really feel about the snow? 
 
 Airlines canceled more than 1,600 flights, leaving passengers such as Alex Thompson, who had hoped to take a flight to San Francisco, with plenty of time on their hands. 
 
 Thompson traveled all the way from Kenya only to find that his next flight was one of hundreds called off until Thursday because of the storm. 
 
 With no hotel reservations and nowhere else to go, he said he'd find a place to sack out at Dulles International Airport and "waste my time until I can get on my flight." 
 
 Capital closings 
 
 The dire forecast issued Tuesday prompted the federal government to close offices in the nation's capital, but emergency workers and telecommuters were expected to be on duty, according to the Office of Personnel Management. 
 
 The White House canceled a planned celebration for the Alabama Crimson Tide, college football champions, and Congress called off several hearings. 
 
 More than 954,000 students who attend major school districts in Washington, Virginia, Maryland and Ohio got the day off. 
 
 Amtrak shut down some trains in Washington, Virginia, West Virginia and New York. 
 
 Track the late-winter storm 
 
 But tourism goes on 
 
 Not all of Washington was shut down. Although the National Zoo was closed, the Smithsonian said its museums would be open for visitors. 
 
 Washington's Metrorail system was running, although some bus service was disrupted, according to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. 
 
 Flooding threat 
 
 Along the coast, the problem wasn't snow, but high winds and the threat of flooding. 
 
 The National Weather Service issued coastal flood warnings for parts of Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. 
 
 Officials in parts of New Jersey suggested residents evacuate from flood-prone areas along the coast, including areas still recovering from damage done by Hurricane Sandy in October, according to CNN affiliate WABC. 
 
 A flood warning was in effect through Friday morning for the eastern coast of Massachusetts based on a "high confidence" for high winds, storm surge, and moderate to major coastal flooding, the state's emergency management agency said. 
 
 About 300 National Guard troops will be used along the Massachusetts coast to help with flooding and possible evacuations, agency spokesman Peter Judge said. 
 
 Fifty Delaware National Guard troops were called up as emergency management officials urged some coastal residents in that state to evacuate, saying flooding would cut off exit routes. The agency warned of almost certain flooding in areas and said "conditions during the height of the storm could make the process of leaving flooded areas dangerous or impossible." 
 
 High winds forced the brief closure of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in both directions, Maryland authorities said, but not before a tractor trailer overturned on one end, CNN affiliate WJZ reported. 
 
 Wind was believed to have been a major factor in the accident. 
 
 Power was out across the Delmarva Peninsula, which includes parts of Maryland, Virginia and Delaware, Delmarva Power reported. 
 
 In coastal Sussex County, the 911 center reported numerous calls for wires down, vehicle accidents and trees down. 
 
 Water breached a sand dune in Sussex County, forcing the closure of State Route 1 in the county, according to DEMA. 
 
 Is the snow helping ease drought? 
 
 Midwest recovering 
 
 The storm is the same one that earlier dumped about a foot of snow in parts of Illinois, Minnesota and North Dakota, paving a white swath across the Upper Midwest. 
 
 Chicago's O'Hare International Airport had 6 inches of snow Tuesday, beating a 1999 record for the date by 2.2 inches. It was the first snowfall of 6 inches or more in the Windy City since February 2011, the weather service said. 
 
 Plows removed snow from roads and trucks spread salt and sand, but drivers still slipped off of roadways, leaving snow-covered cars to be retrieved by tow trucks. 
 
 Tuesday's snow put a drag on air traffic in the Midwest, leading to delays and cancellations, but planes continued to fly in Columbus, Ohio, and Minneapolis, Minnesota, after plows removed the snow from runways. 
 
 Analyze the snowfall ||||| CLOSE Skip in Skip x Embed x Share After a winter storm that passed through St. Louis, some drivers sat on highways and interstates for hours in icy and snowy conditions wondering when they would begin to move. KSDK 
 
 Blinding snow bombarded much of the nation's midsection Thursday, causing whiteout conditions and making major roadways all but impassable. 
 
 Westlake Ace Hardware employee Kenneth Curiel, right, helps customer Marcus Dunn load six 40-pound bags of ice melt into this van in Wichita, Kan., on Feb. 20. (Photo: Mike Hutmacher, AP) Story Highlights More than a foot of snow has fallen in parts of Kansas 
 
 Ice is adding to the Midwest's woes 
 
 The storm's remnants could blast New England on Saturday 
 
 A powerful storm roared across the nation's midsection Thursday, threatening 20 states and 60 million residents in its path. On Friday morning, the storm was moving northeast. 
 
 Parts of Nebraska, Oklahoma and Kansas have been blasted with more than a foot of snow, with sleet and freezing rain exacerbating treacherous conditions, the National Weather Service said. 
 
 Winter storm warnings and advisories were issued from eastern Colorado to southwestern Virginia. Officials feared the storm would be the worst in the central U.S. since the Groundhog Day blizzard in 2011, which killed dozens and left hundreds of thousands powerless. 
 
 Wichita was hit with 14 inches of snow, the city's second-largest snowstorm on record So far, Hays, Kan., has seen the most snow from this storm, with 17 inches. Other areas of the Midwest could see even more snow before the storm slides east, primed to do more damage there. 
 
 A whiteout was reported on the Kansas Turnpike, and 90 miles of Interstate 70 was shut down. 
 
 Missouri's Kansas City International Airport shut down, and almost 200 flights had been canceled, according to flight-tracking service FlightAware. Cancellations also were piling up at other airports in the storm's path in St. Louis, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston,Chicago O'Hare, Denver, Omaha, Wichita and Minneapolis/St. Paul. 
 
 FLIGHTS: Delays, cancellations pile up 
 
 Some solace: Most big airlines had issued flexible rebooking policies for fliers with flights to, from or through the central United States. 
 
 Most schools in Kansas and Missouri, and many in neighboring states, were closed. Legislatures shut down in Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Nebraska and Iowa. 
 
 
 
 Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback closed executive offices, except for essential personnel. "If you don't have to get out, just really, please, don't do it," Brownback said. 
 
 Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency statewide as a mixture of snow, sleet, and ice paralyzed the state. Some areas were projected to get more than 10 inches of snow. 
 
 Up to 9 inches of snow were expected in central Iowa, between the Minnesota and Missouri state borders. Other parts of Iowa were expected to get between 3 to 7 inches of snow. 
 
 CLOSE Skip in Skip x Embed x Share The huge snowstorm that blanketed the Midwest on Thursday is now moving into the Upper Midwest. The storm dropped a foot or more of snow. It's blamed for at least two deaths and hundreds of traffic accidents. (Feb. 22) AP 
 
 Grand Island in south central Nebraska reported 10 inches of snow. 
 
 In Iowa, snow was expected to fall at up to 2 inches per hour with wind gusts reaching 30 mph during the peak of the storm Thursday night, said the weather service's Roger Vachalek. Des Moines was expecting 8 inches or more. 
 
 In Arkansas, an emergency preparedness drill using mock ice storm and involving hospitals and emergency personnel in Baxter and Marion counties was canceled because officials had to deal with a real ice storm. 
 
 PHOTOS: Send us your snow photos 
 
 (Photo: Travis Heying, AP) 
 
 The storm brought heavy rain, strong winds — but also much-needed moisture — for parts of the drought-scorched Plains. 
 
 "In the city you hear they don't want the snow and that sort of thing, and I am thinking, `Yes, we do,' and they don't realize that we need it," said farmer Diane McReynolds of Woodson, Kan. 
 
 "We have to have it or their food cost in the grocery store is going to go very high," she said. "We have to have this. We pray a lot for it." 
 
 The storm will weaken somewhat Friday as it slides east, forecasters said. Mainly morning snow of about 3-5 inches is expected around the western Great Lakes, Weather Channel meteorologist Chris Dolce reported, with cities such as Minneapolis, Milwaukee and Detroit seeing the greatest impact. 
 
 Farther to the south, freezing rain and sleet is likely in parts of Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, where up to 1/4 of an inch of ice could accumulate. Along the Gulf Coast, severe storms are possible in far southern Mississippi, southern Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle, according to the Storm Prediction Center. 
 
 A new storm could form Saturday along the East Coast from the remnants of the winter storm, bringing significant snow from upstate New York to southern New England, Dolce said. 
 
 The heavy, wet snow could cause power outages, and enough snow could fall in Boston to set an all-time record for snowiest February ever. The record was in 1969, when 41.3 inches of snow piled up. So far this month, Boston has seen 32 inches of snow. 
 
 Contributing: Ben Mutzabaugh; Brandie Piper, KDSK.com; Jens Manuel Krogstad, The Des Moines Register; Alia E. Dastagir in McLean, Va.; Associated Press 
 
 Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/156mDnX ||||| Blizzard warnings are in place in several Midwest states. 
 
 The scene of a deadly 25-vehicle pileup on Dec. 20 north of Des Moines. Authorities said drivers were blinded by snow and didn't see vehicles that had slowed or stopped on Interstate 80. (Photo: Iowa State Patrol) Story Highlights About 5 million people are in areas under a blizzard warning 
 
 Several states reporting numerous traffic accidents 
 
 Expect delays at airports in the path of the storm 
 
 A major snowstorm that was sweeping across the Midwest and beyond on Thursday left at least seven people dead, clogged highways and forced hundreds of flight delays and cancellations at airports already bracing for the holiday rush. 
 
 The deaths included a woman in Utah who died trying to walk for help after her car became stuck in the blizzard. Storm-related traffic deaths also were reported in Kansas, Iowa, Wisconsin and Nebraska. 
 
 Blizzard warnings were in effect in Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Illinois, according to the National Weather Service. The Weather Channel reported that parts of 17 states are under winter weather advisories -- as far west as Washington state and as far east as Maine. 
 
 The southern edge of the storm system brought winds and damaged homes in Arkansas, the National Weather Service said. Alabama has confirmed that a tornado hit Mobile on Thursday morning, but the tornado's length and intensity were still being assessed. Tornado watches remained in place in Georgia and Florida. 
 
 A major winter storm is snarling flights in Chicago and elsewhere in the Midwest this morning, a disruption that comes at beginning of the busy Christmas travel rush. USA Today 
 
 The storm brought much-needed precipitation for drought-plagued regions but was bad news for holiday travelers. Most of the nation's big airlines responded to the storm's threat by enacting flexible rebooking policies for passengers scheduled to fly into the storm's path. 
 
 As of 5 p.m. ET Thursday, more than 1,000 flights had been canceled at airports across the Midwest, according to flight-tracking service FlightStats.com. 
 
 More than 600 flights were canceled at Chicago's two airports, O'Hare and Midway. Other flights at O'Hare were delayed between 30 and 90 minutes, the city's Department of Aviation reported at 3:30 p.m. CT. FlightAware reported inbound delays averaging 2½ hours because of high winds. 
 
 American Airlines announced that it was canceling flights scheduled to depart after 8 p.m. CT and that flights delayed earlier might leave after 8 p.m. 
 
 O'Hare is a major hub for both United and American, meaning the disruption could ripple out and affect fliers at other airports. 
 
 Southwest, which flies more domestic passengers than any other airline, said it is suspending all of its flights at Midway as of 4 p.m. CT and at Milwaukee as of 5 p.m. CT, Southwest spokeswoman Olga Romero told USA TODAY's Today in the Sky blog. 
 
 The airline already had suspended operations Thursday morning in Kansas City. 
 
 Storms knocked out power to an estimated 400,000 customers in 13 states -- Iowa, Nebraska, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, Kansas, Missouri, Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Virginia and Tennessee. 
 
 Overnight, about 65,000 customers in East Texas were without electricity. By midmorning, 7,000 still did not have power. 
 
 More than 30,000 Kansas City Power & Light customers in Kansas and Missouri lost power in the morning, but by midafternoon the number was down to 6,380, mostly in Missouri. 
 
 The snowstorm was walloping Iowa, and about a foot of snow had fallen in Des Moines. State police said a 25-vehicle pileup killed one person, and across Iowa 30,900 customers were without power, including more than 25,000 in the Des Moines area. 
 
 More than 36,000 Omaha Public Power District customers lost power in eastern Nebraska, including 25,000 in Omaha. Efforts to restore electricity were hampered by 50-mph winds and heavy snow. 
 
 Blizzard conditions remained across portions of Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota late Thursday. 
 
 The heaviest snow is falling at a rate of up to an inch per hour in this zone, according to AccuWeather. Gusts up to 50 mph are causing blowing snow, lowering the visibility to less than a quarter of a mile. 
 
 Some of the heaviest snow fell in Iowa and Wisconsin, where amounts of 12-18 inches were common, the National Weather Service reported. 
 
 Heavy snow and howling winds were rapidly closing in on Chicago, which had seen rain all day. Snow was forecast to start falling overnight in Chicago, with 1-3 inches expected. 
 
 In southeastern Wisconsin, where a blizzard warning was in effect, sheriff's officials said slick conditions led to at least two fatalities late Wednesday when a driver lost control of his car in Rock County, about 90 miles northwest of Chicago. 
 
 The weather service was forecasting "thundersnow" in Milwaukee and the surrounding areas, where snow could fall at the rate of 2-3 inches an hour. 
 
 Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency, which put the state emergency government, National Guard, State Patrol and other agencies on high alert. 
 
 TRAVEL TROUBLE: New winter storm could snarl Christmas flights 
 
 At least two people in Nebraska died in crashes blamed on poor driving conditions, the State Patrol said. In many areas, drivers were being told to stay off the roads because of whiteout conditions. Most of I-80 in the state was closed. Nebraska's biggest school districts canceled classes, as did many districts across the region. 
 
 Don Hunter shovels outside of Gerda's German Restaurant and Bakery in Omaha on Wednesday. (Photo: Alyssa Schukar, AP) 
 
 In Utah, Washington County sheriff's detective Nate Abbott says the woman and a man were driving when their car got stuck in rural Washington County on Tuesday night during the storm that hit the Rocky Mountain region. 
 
 He says the pair started walking for help, but the woman couldn't go any farther and sought shelter while the man continued on. Search-and-rescue teams later found her body. 
 
 Although the Plains and Midwest could do without the travel headaches, precipitation should be welcome. 
 
 More than 93% of the high Plains region and 54% of the Midwest are enduring drought conditions, according to Thursday's U.S. Drought Monitor, a federal website that tracks drought. 
 
 Out west, the leading edge of a powerful storm system arrived in Washington, Oregon and Northern California. Rain is expected across Northern California from late Thursday through the weekend, with heavy snow possible in the Sierra Nevada range as the system moves east. 
 
 Four to seven feet of snow is forecast to fall above 7,000 feet, prompting the U.S. Forest Service to issue an avalanche warning for Mount Shasta. 
 
 Contributing: Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAY; Michael Winter, USA TODAY; the Associated Press; The Des Moines Register 
 
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– The federal government closed up shop today, shutting offices in anticipation of a looming snowstorm that blanketed Chicago with snow yesterday, the AP reports. (The six inches logged at O'Hare best a 1999 record for the date—by more than two inches.) The National Weather Service is predicting six to 12 inches of heavy, slushy snow in DC, though there's a chance the snow could turn to rain as it nears the Atlantic, CNN reports. "We're in our mobilization level 5, which is our highest mobilization level," says one Virginia Department of Transportation employee. Airlines have already cancelled hundreds of flights in the storm's projected path, and at least 4,723 Virginia residents have lost power. Ohio is getting its taste of the storm as well, and schools in Columbus have closed; DC kids are off, too.