Government shut down as DC, region dig out of snow

Federal workers and school children got a day off Monday as the Mid-Atlantic region dug out from as much as 3 feet of snow that made travel nearly impossible and knocked out power to tens of thousands of people.

Federal agencies that employ 230,000 in Washington were closed, as were many local governments, businesses and school districts. Utilities warned it could be days before power is restored to everyone.

With more snow expected Tuesday into Wednesday — as much as a foot in some places and close to another foot and a half in Philadelphia — stranded travelers wondered when they might escape the icy, gray mess.

At Washington’s Reagan National Airport, where flights had resumed after more than two days, the “on time” flights on the departure board started to outnumber the canceled ones by mid-afternoon. But many people still didn’t know when they might get out.

Mark Burroughs, the mayor of Denton, Texas, needed to be back for a vote Tuesday, but he and his wife, Annie, were on standby. They made it to a weekend snowball fight in Dupont Circle that they called “great fun,” but by Monday they were ready to go home.

“I saw on the news Thursday night that the snow was coming, so like masochists, we got on an airplane and came here,” Annie Burroughs joked.

Just getting to the airport was a challenge for others. Chris Vaughn of Washington managed to rebook a flight to Park City, Utah, that had been canceled Friday, but his shuttle driver called Monday to say the company was canceling all pickups. One cab company wanted $100 to take him to the airport, and another was charging $50 for a cab ride that would usually cost less than $20.

“I’m done with city, urban snow life,” Vaughan said, walking through the airport with his ski boots over his shoulder. “I don’t want to be