Heavy snowstorms on the US East Coast have forced thousands of flights to be cancelled, as well as significant power outages in numerous states and the federal government in Washington, D.C. being shut down for the day.

More than 20 million people were under winter storm warnings on Monday, with snow totals in the nation's capital ranging from five to ten inches. According to National Weather Service statistics, the greatest total of 13.4 inches was reported in Glendie, Virginia's Stafford County, while the snowfall ended in the afternoon in the D.C.-Virginia-Maryland region.

The extreme winter weather, along with the Covid-19's recent return, resulted in thousands of flight delays and cancellations. According to flight-tracking website FlightAware, total delays on flights inside, into, or out of the United States topped 6,000 in the late afternoon on Monday, with total cancellations in this category reaching 3,000.

The Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., and the Baltimore/Washington International Airport in Maryland were the most hit by the storm. As per FlightAware's statistics, the Ronald Reagan National Airport, which received 6.7 inches of snow, cancelled 358 departure flights and 330 entering aircraft on Monday, accounting for 86% of all flights originating from the airport for the day and 76% of all flights arriving at the airport.

The Federal Aviation Administration had issued ground blocks for planes heading for the two airports earlier in the day. In the afternoon, both restrictions were lifted.

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