Washington Still Paralyzed After Weekend Blizzard

— -- As residents slip and slide their way through the snowdrifts blanketing the streets of Washington, D.C., the nation's capital remains largely paralyzed.

Washington is in the midst of what Mayor Muriel Bowser called a "big dig-out."

The city has asked for federal assistance in clearing its 4,400 miles of road, according to Bowser. Washington was hit with 18 inches of snow this weekend.

“We have a lot of ground to cover,” she said, urging residents to stay off the streets if possible. “It’s important to note the roads are still dangerous.”

Meanwhile, the capital's public transit system this morning was operating on “lifeline” service, with limited buses on snow detour routes, and metros running on below-ground track only. (Some above-ground track re-opened at 11 a.m.)

At Dulles International Airport in Virginia, where more than 29 inches of snow was recorded over the weekend, nearly 40 percent of today’s flights were canceled. At Reagan National Airport in Washington, more than 20 percent of flights were grounded, as crews worked to clear more than 200 miles of snow from runways, taxiways and ramps.

In the wake of the blizzard, federal offices and public schools were closed today, and trash pickup has been suspended through Tuesday.

“We want the city to get back to normal as soon as possible,” Bowser said. “We want people to recognize we are going to get to every street.”

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