A winter storm unleashed heavy snow and strong winds throughout much of the U.S. Southeast and mid-Atlantic on Monday, forcing federal offices and schools to close, grounding airplanes and knocking out power for thousands of people.

Forecasts called for 4-8 inches (12-25 cm) of snow and winds up to 40 miles per hour (64 km per hour) in the region's first blizzard of the season, according to the National Weather Service. Severe weather warnings were issued from the Carolinas to New Jersey.

As of 4 p.m., the National Weather Service reported that 8.5 inches (21.59 cm) of snow fell in Washington, D.C., 9 inches accumulated (22.86 cm) in eastern Tennessee, 14.6 inches (37 cm) dropped in Virginia and 15.5 inches (39.37 cm) was measured in Maryland.

"This is not a very typical setup for us, especially this time of year for us," said Austin Mansfield, a weather service meteorologist in Virginia. "When we are talking highly populated areas, increasing accumulation of snow becomes problematic."

The National Weather Service said the winter storm was easing and would end by Monday evening.

The inclement weather forced federal government offices to close in Washington, while dozens of schools across the region canceled or delayed the start of school.

Even President Joe Biden faced delays as he arrived back in Washington. The president and his staff were stuck on Air Force One for 30 minutes as plows cleared the runway.

The president’s motorcade, which typically darts through Washington’s streets, crawled on its way back to the White House.

The fresh snow did give children a chance to make forts and dogs could be seen diving in and out of the fresh powder.

Close to 200 people, summoned by the Washington D.C. Snowball Fight Association, gathered outside the Smithsonian Castle Monday afternoon where snow was so deep it completely swallowed people's feet as they walked through it.