Washington shuts down in anticipation of 'snowpocalypse'

Washington, Feb.7 (ANI): United States capital Washington D.C. came to a grinding halt Saturday in anticipation of one of its heaviest snowfall in nearly a century, dubbed "snowpocalypse" and "snowmageddon".

According to The Telegraph, transport networks were preparing to shut down and residents were warned they could be forced to spend up to five days indoors.

The forecast iss for 2.5 feet (0.76 metres) of snow to fall, and for blizzard conditions.

Heavy snowfall has already been blamed for hundreds of accidents and the deaths of a father and son who were trying to help a crashed motorist in Virginia.

Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia have declared "snow emergencies", allowing them to call in assistance from the National Guard.

Several thousand residents lost electricity in West Virginia and more power cuts were expected.

The predicted snowfall is the biggest in the region for ninety years.

The National Weather Service warned that conditions would be "extremely dangerous," with heavy, wet snow and strong winds. They warned that transport would be affected and supplies to shops could be delayed.

Airlines cancelled flights, schools closed and the federal government sent workers home, where they could be stuck for several days in a region ill-equipped to deal with so much snow.

Some hospitals asked people with four-wheel-drive vehicles to volunteer to pick up doctors and nurses to take them to work.

The National Zoo closed early and the Smithsonian museums planned to close on Saturday. Flights on Saturday afternoon were cancelled at Dulles International Airport in suburban Washington. Amtrak stopped most trains heading south from Washington, affecting fans heading to the Super Bowl in Miami.

Before the heavy snow started falling, shoppers jammed aisles and emptied stores of milk, bread and shovels.

The storm comes less than two months after a storm on December 19th dumped more than 16 inches of snow on Washington. (ANI)