airlines along the storm 's projected path have cut hundreds of flights , most of them at dulles and reagan national airports in the washington area .
authorities opened shelters for the 215,000 virginians without power , according to the virginia department of emergency management .
while the storm was dumping plenty of snow in other places , washington was getting just fractions of an inch , said cnn meteorologist sean morris .
the federal government says its offices in the washington , d.c. , area will be closed wednesday as the nation 's capital braces for its first big snowfall of the winter .
story highlights shelters are open for 215,000 without power in virginia a coastal flood warning is in effect for massachusetts virginia 's governor declares a state of emergency they 'd hoped to trade political potshots for wet snowballs .
bob mcdonnell declared a state and many county offices closed early .
 
the group had planned a big showdown in dupont circle , where a few years ago 3,000 people turned out for a humdinger of a fight .