Storm hits US east coast but bypasses Washington
A winter storm marched into the eastern US, dumping nearly 2 feet of snow in some places.
WASHINGTON (AP) - A winter storm marched into the eastern U.S. Wednesday, dumping nearly 2 feet (half a meter) of snow in some places and knocking out power to about 250,000 homes and businesses. It largely spared the nation s capital, which was expecting much worse and had all but shut down because of dire forecasts.
Officials did not want a repeat of 2011, when a rush-hour snowstorm stranded commuters for hours, so they told people to stay off the roads and gave workers the day off. Dubbed the "snowquester," the storm closed government offices, just as the automatic budget cuts known as the sequester were expected to do.
The storm pummeled the nation s midsection on Tuesday, killing at least four people in weather-related traffic accidents.
In Washington, where as much as 10 inches (250 millimeters) of snow were forecast, the storm did little but drop harmless snowflakes that rapidly melted amid warmer-than-expected temperatures.
"They just say that it might snow and the whole city shuts down," said Sheri Sable, who was out walking her two dogs in light rain and marveled at how even the dog park she frequents failed to open at 7 a.m.
In the adjoining state of Virginia, Gov. Bob McDonnell declared a state of emergency and directed state agencies to let employees work from home, while about 50 soldiers were sent out to help clear roads.
More than 200,000 people in Virginia alone were without power and another 40,000 in New Jersey were in the dark. Hundreds of wrecks were reported around the region.
Downtown Washington was unusually quiet. Officials pre-emptively shut down federal offices and canceled public schools. The roughly 300,000 government employees inside the capital region and in surrounding counties were treated to a paid snow day.
Some congressional hearings were postponed, but the House managed to approve legislation to prevent a government shutdown on March 27 and President Barack Obama was set to have dinner with Republican senators at hotel on Wednesday night.
The Baltimore-Washington area s last major snowstorm struck Jan. 26, 2011. It hit Washington during the evening rush hour, causing some motorists to be stuck in traffic nearly overnight.
Hundreds more flights were canceled Wednesday at Dulles and Reagan National airports in the Washington area, according to FlightAware.com.
