Watch: View of Capitol as Washington braces for snow storm and US states declare emergencies

Watch a view of the Capitol on Monday (6 January) as Washington braces for a snow storm from the east with several US states declaring an emergency.

An arctic blast is battering the southern US as a brutal winter storm blows from the Ohio River Valley to the mid-Atlantic.

The storm has disrupted travel, bringing heavy snow, ice and wind to the eastern two-thirds of the US. Hundreds of flights have been canceled across airports in the Midwest, and officials in several states are pleading with residents to keep off the roads unless there’s an emergency. Widespread power outages are likely.

Meanwhile, arctic air is blowing into the southern US, bringing single-digit “feels like” temperatures to much of Texas and causing officials to issue a freeze watch in Florida.