Winter blast arrives

WASHINGTON, D.C. (NBCNC) - The snow storm that dumped over a foot of snow on parts of the Midwest is now hovering over the East Coast.

The storm has forced school closures, flight cancellations and prompted Congress to change its schedule.

As large snowy flakes fell on Capitol Hill more than a dozen Congressional hearings were canceled.

The House of Representatives planned to shove two days of work and a vote on the budget into four hours.

Parts of Virginia are bracing for the worst of this storm, possibly over a foot of snow.

Tens of thousands of people have already lost power and around the region schools are closed.

Along the Jersey shore communities damaged by Superstorm Sandy prepared for heavy floods.