Investing.com -- More than 8,000 U.S. flights were delayed or canceled on Monday as a series of storms impacted airports along the East Coast and other major hubs.

The Federal Aviation Administration imposed ground stops at Reagan Washington National and Charlotte airports. The agency was also delaying flights at LaGuardia, Houston Bush, Newark and JFK airports because of weather issues.

The U.S. government ordered federal employees to leave offices by 2 p.m. EDT on Monday because of the risks of high winds and severe thunderstorms. A major winter storm was also snarling flights across the Midwest and Great Lakes states.