(CNN) — A deadly winter storm is pummeling Washington, DC, and the mid-Atlantic Monday after causing hundreds of crashes and flight cancellations and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands in the central United States over the weekend. Here’s what’s happening: • Heavy snow in DC: Five inches of snow had fallen in the area by sunrise – marking its snowiest day in two years – with more on the way through the day. US federal government offices in Washington are closed Monday due to the weather, but the closure will not affect Congress where certification of the 2024 Presidential Election results will take place. DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said the top priority is getting the city fully opened as soon as possible and urged people to give snowplow teams space to work. “If you don’t need to be on the roads tonight and tomorrow, stay home. Please stay off our roads,” she said Sunday. Storm turns deadly: At least three people died in traffic crashes caused by the storm. Two people in Wichita, Kansas, died Sunday when their SUV slid and went down an embankment, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol. A dump truck slid out of control in Independence, Missouri, Sunday night and struck a 61-year-old pedestrian who died at the scene, according to the state’s highway patrol. • Drivers stranded: Major highways were shut down by snow and ice in multiple states over the weekend, including Missouri where at least 600 motorists were stranded amid extreme conditions. Hundreds of car crashes occurred in Virginia, Indiana, Kansas and Kentucky, the Associated Press reported. The National Guard was deployed across major roads in Kansas, western Nebraska and parts of Indiana, where hundreds of motorists were stranded, according to the AP. In northwestern Missouri, the State Highway Patrol is “working with tow companies to remove countless stranded vehicles” on I-29, the Missouri Department of Transportation said. The interstate reopened Monday morning, but officials strongly encouraged drivers to stay clear of it. • Hundreds of thousands without power: More than 310,000 people from Missouri to Virginia are without power Monday morning, according to PowerOutage.us. Thick ice, snow and gusty winds took down trees and power lines over the weekend. The utility that serves Louisville and Lexington, Kentucky, does not yet have an estimate of when its more than 20,000 outages can be restored. “It’s definitely a multi-day event here in Kentucky,” LG&E and KU Energy spokesperson Daniel Lowry told CNN Monday. Conditions will remain hazardous conditions for crews trying to restore power. A new Arctic blast with dangerously low temperatures will impact the same areas after the storm. It will lock in snow and ice and create life-threatening conditions for those without power who don’t have access to heat. • Air travel disrupted: More than 1,300 flights into and out of the US were cancelled as of 7 a.m. Monday, according to flight data tracker FlightAware. This comes after more than 1,800 flights met the same fate on Sunday. • Widespread school closures: All public schools in Washington, DC, are closed Monday due to weather conditions. Alexandria City Public Schools and Arlington Public Schools in Virginia are also closed. Cincinnati Public Schools, one of Ohio’s largest school districts, are also closed on Monday due to inclement weather, while some schools in Louisville, Kentucky and Springfield, Missouri, will also shut due to dangerous road conditions brought by icy rain and sleet. Major universities – including Ohio State and the University of Pennsylvania – announced they were canceling in-person classes Monday. Storm’s final chapter The major winter storm barreling through the East Monday will dump snow, ice and rain over the region throughout the day before it pushes off the coast in the evening. The most intense snow will happen in the morning, though some will linger in parts of the mid-Atlantic – including Washington, DC – through the evening hours before finally coming to an end. Brutally cold air and strong winds will rush over the East Monday night and Tuesday in the wake of the storm. Temperatures plummeted Monday in the Central US as the coldest air of the season arrived, locking in the mounds of snow and plenty of treacherous ice that fell over the weekend. The storm has already proven prolific in the Central US. More than 20 inches of snow fell in Chapman, Kansas, the storm’s top total so far. Blizzard conditions hit Topeka, Kansas, on Sunday, as strong winds blew snow and caused whiteouts. Topeka’s 14.1 inches of snow – recorded on Sunday – is the third largest calendar day of snowfall on record, while 11 inches of snow in Kansas City, Missouri, marks the snowiest day on record at the city’s official reporting station.