In Pics | Record-setting snow disrupts daily life in US

After a bruising holiday week of flight cancellations and record surges in Covid-19 cases, a powerful winter snow storm further snarled US, shuttering the federal government and bringing Washington to a standstill. The storm packed an unexpectedly fierce punch and appeared to have caught much of the capital city off guard, temporarily stranding US President Joe Biden on Air Force One and dumping up to nine inches (23 centimeters) of snow on Washington.

A winter storm that hit the mid-Atlantic combined with the Coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the daily lives of the people. Credit: Reuters Photo

Even the Federal government offices and schools in the Washington DC area were closed as the region received its first significant snowfall of the season. In this photo, a US Capitol Police Officer is seen standing guard amid a snow storm on Capitol Hill in Washington. Credit: Reuters Photo

The winter storm had left at least three dead and more than half a million people without power as it moved up the East Coast. Credit: Reuters Photo

Many Americans have been scrambling to come back home after the Christmas and New Year celebrations and are stranded at the airport. Credit: AFP Photo

More than 3,000 US flights were cancelled, according to tracking service FlightAware. Another 5600 flights were delayed in the US due to the inclement weather. Credit: Reuters Photo

The Atlantic City International Airport was temporarily closed, while crews worked to clear runways of snow. Credit: AFP Photo

The storm dropped more than 14 inches of snow in parts of Northern Virginia, while Washington recorded more than 8 inches, according to the National Weather Service. In central Tennessee and northern Alabama, which caught the tail end of the storm, snowfall totals reached 9 inches, the weather service said. Credit: Reuters Photo

Roads in the region became treacherous. The Virginia State Police said that its officers had responded to more than 650 reports of crashes and assisted more than 600 stranded vehicles.

Crews were working to remove snow from the roads in the impacted states after the worst of the storm had passed. Pictures of cars stuck on snow-covered roads were widely circulated online. Credit: Reuters Photo