north . Watch the forecast on the storm 's trek `` Even if you 're in a SUV , it 's difficult to get around , '' Washington Police Chief Cathy Lanier said . `` You ca n't see the Capitol dome through the snow , '' even standing a few yards away . Share your winter weather photos , videos Government buildings were eerily quiet . The Department of Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service buildings were shut . No one answered the door at the Justice Department , though the attorney general 's office said work was still being done at key counterterrorism offices . The U.S. Postal Service said it was experiencing delays in processing mail . Subway service was expected to be limited Thursday to underground stations , and bus service was expected to be suspended on Thursday . Federal agencies were to be closed Thursday , too , and non-emergency employees were to be granted the day off . This winter already has become the snowiest on record for Washington and its suburbs , as well as Baltimore , Maryland , and Wilmington , Delaware , the National Weather Service said . It 's also
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Heavy snow pummeled much of the East Coast on Wednesday , battering states for the second time in a week and forcing many people to stay home from school and jobs . Several cities had record snowfalls . The storm canceled or delayed flights in several cities , kept federal workers home for a third straight day in Washington , and taxed local government budgets as cities and counties scrambled to pay for snow removal , overtime , salt , supplies and equipment . In Washington , the snow was falling at a rate of 2 inches per hour at one point in the afternoon , CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras said . Forecasters predicted that Washington winds would gust to 50 mph overnight . A blizzard warning was to be in effect in the Washington area until 7 p.m. , the National Weather Service said . Blowing snow caused such poor visibility at midday that snowplows temporarily parked by the side of the road , authorities said . Forecasters predicted that the storm would dump a total of 8 to 10 inches inside the Capital Beltway -LRB- Interstate 495 -RRB- , with higher amounts to the