As a partial government shutdown continues in the US, the longest in its history, residents of the Washington area woke on Sunday to find that heavy snow had fallen overnight.
Still more snow is expected to fall, but here are pictures showing the scenes in Washington on Sunday:
Winter Storm Gia brought the first snow of the year to Washington
People took to Capitol Hill to sled down the slope
Snow blanketed a statue of Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States, in Lafayette Square
US Park Service workers had to clear snow from the White House driveway
Snowball fights ensued on the National Mall
Three women were seen walking in Rock Creek Park dressed in American Revolution outfits
A man used a kite to snowboard on the National Mall next to the Washington Monument
A homeless man was seen resting above a warm air vent near the White House.
Photographer Ting Shen caught this shot of a hawk diving to catch prey in the snow on the National MallSource: www.bbc.com
