A day of important election certification and difficult memories in Washington, D.C., began Monday with a gentle snow blanketing the National Mall and softening the monument. The snow was expected to fall heavily into the morning and continue into the night, halting most activity around the mid-Atlantic region.
The first major winter storm of the season rolled through the Midwest, leaving parts of the central United States buried under more than a foot of snow. Snow mixed with sleet and freezing rain froze roads in some areas on Monday, leaving tens of thousands of people without power. Hundreds of flights and trains were canceled or delayed on some of the nation's busiest travel routes, and state police officials reported hundreds of accidents on highways.
The storm is expected to move into the Atlantic overnight, but with frigid temperatures expected throughout the week, the snow will stick around for a while. For now, authorities are asking people to stay home and stay off the streets. Many children who were scheduled to return to school after winter break did not object.
