A major storm system that blanketed a large swathe of the central and eastern United States in snow and ice -- disrupting travel for millions and contributing to at least five deaths -- was headed offshore Monday night,

While the snowstorm caused headaches for some from the Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic, it was pure joy for the new pandas at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.

The first major winter storm of the new year swept into the U.S. Middle Atlantic states on Monday morning, closing down federal offices and public schools in Washington D.C. after dumping more than a foot of snow in the Ohio Valley and Central Plains.