At least five people have died as a result of a winter storm that has devastated large swaths of the United States and caused widespread school closures, travel disruptions and power outages.

Seven states in the United States have declared states of emergency: Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky and Arkansas.

More than 2,300 flights have been canceled and nearly 9,000 delayed due to extreme weather caused by the polar vortex of icy air that normally surrounds the Arctic.

According to Poweroutage.us, more than 200,000 people were without power Monday night in states in the storm’s path. Snow and sleet are expected to continue to fall across much of the Northeastern United States on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

While the precipitation will then dissipate, arctic air is expected to keep the weather cold over much of the country for several weeks.

About 5-9 inches (13-23 centimeters) of snow fell as lawmakers in Washington, D.C., met on Monday to confirm Donald Trump’s victory in the November election, with up to a foot of snow falling in parts of nearby Maryland and Virginia. .

In front of the Washington Monument, hundreds of local residents gathered at a local park for a snowball fight, a 15-year-old tradition.

“Just having fun,” one local told the BBC. “I’ve never had a snowball fight before.”

Former U.S. Olympic skier Claire Egan was spotted cross-country skiing on the National Mall, Central Avenue in the nation’s capital.

She told The Associated Press that after moving to the city, she thought “my skiing days might be behind me.”

A weather emergency is in place in Washington, D.C., until early Tuesday morning due to the system, which the Weather Channel has named “Winter Storm Blair.”

With school districts closed from Maryland to Kansas, children who were scheduled to return to class Monday after winter break were instead enjoying a snowy day.

In other parts of the country, the winter storm also brought hazardous road conditions.

In Missouri, the state Highway Patrol said at least 365 people were involved in crashes on Sunday, leaving dozens injured and at least one dead.

In nearby Kansas, one of the hardest-hit states, local news reported that two people were killed in crashes during the storm.

A person was found dead from the cold at a bus stop in Houston, Texas, on Monday morning, authorities said.

In Virginia, 300 crashes were reported between midnight and Monday morning, and authorities warned residents to avoid driving in much of the state.

At least one motorist died, local media reported.

Matthew Cappucci, senior meteorologist at weather app MyRadar, told the BBC that Kansas City had experienced its worst snowfall in 32 years.

He added that some areas near the Ohio River turned into “ice rinks” in the freezing temperatures.

“The plows are stuck, the police are stuck, everyone is stuck – stay home,” he said.