First major US winter storm of year hammers Mid-Atlantic states

7/1/2025 5:54

The first major winter storm of the new year barreled into the U.S. mid-Atlantic states on Monday, closing down federal offices and public schools in Washington, D.C., after dumping a foot of snow in parts of the Ohio Valley and Central Plains.



More than five inches (12.7 cm) had fallen in the nation's capital by midday on Monday, according to the U.S. National Weather Service, with up to 12 inches in some surrounding areas of Maryland and Virginia. The snow was forecast to continue before the system pushes out to sea on Monday evening.



Severe travel disruptions were expected across the storm's path, and officials urged drivers to stay off the roads if possible. Governors in several states, including Kansas, Kentucky, Arkansas, West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland, have declared states of emergency.



In the wake of the storm, dangerously frigid Arctic air was filling the void, bringing freezing rain and icy conditions to a swath of the country stretching from Illinois to the Atlantic coast. The unusually cold temperatures are expected to linger for the rest of the week.