The federal government says its offices will close at noon Friday.
Advertisement
Blizzard Warnings have been issued for the city, Long Island and a good portion of New Jersey generally south of I-78. Cars got stuck on icy, snow-covered roads and people lost power as far south as Georgia.
The approaching storm led New Jersey Governor Chris Christie to return home from New Hampshire, where he was campaigning for the Republican presidential nomination.
In Kentucky and Virginia, the snow was coming down even faster – at a rate of 2 inches per hour.
Heavy snow and high winds are moving across the northern mid-Atlantic region. “Travel is expected to be severely limited if not impossible during the height of the storm”.
A Potentially Deadly Storm for D.C.
“We want people to hunker down, shelter in place and stay off the roads”, she said. Danielle Aldridge couldn’t find her ice scraper, so she used a plastic kitchen cutting board on her windshield. She had to get to work at a family practice clinic that was open on Friday, unlike government offices and many other private businesses. “That’s part of the deal. Like the post office – rain or shine or sleet or snow, I will take care of my patients”. A foot of snow has fallen in the mountains of western North Carolina and parts of southwest Virginia.
“We’re going to have a packed snow surface that will just be outstanding”, he said. Many people are prepared after snow from Superstorm Sandy collapsed roofs in 2012.
Washington looks like the bull’s-eye of the blizzard, Uccellini said.
“It will continue to grow as it crosses the mid-Atlantic states, where Maryland, south-eastern Pennsylvania and northern Virginia will get the heaviest snow”.
Up to 3ft (90cm) of snow has been predicted in Washington DC and Baltimore, with schools closed, thousands of flights cancelled and a state of emergency declared across a vast area. College basketball games and concerts will have to wait.
More recently a February 2010 storm dumped more than 32 inches at nearby Dulles Airport in suburban Virginia, according to the National Weather Service.
The Weather Channel has said that this particular storm, which it dubbed “Jonas”, could affect more than 85 million people as it hammers the region throughout the weekend.
President Barack Obama put off a White House ceremony where he was to award medals to scientists and technology innovators, including an Indian-American scientist.
Authorities have said the subway system in the capital will shut down entirely on Friday night and remain closed into Sunday for safety reasons.
In New York, Mayor Bill de Blasio said trucks carrying rock salt will begin hitting the streets Friday with crews operating 12-hour shifts through the weekend.
Philadelphia and NY were expected to get 12 to 18 inches (30 to 46 cm) of snow before the storm abates.
Train service could be disrupted by frozen switches, the loss of third-rail electric power or trees falling on wires.
Friday, airlines canceled more than 6,000 commercial flights that were scheduled for Friday and Saturday across the United States.
Trains, planes About 5,600 flights were cancelled, including at the major hubs of Dulles outside Washington and Charlotte in North Carolina. By Sunday afternoon, airlines hope to be back to full schedules.
One major event in Washington was still on: the March for Life, an annual anti-abortion rally that’s usually one of the largest events on the National Mall. It will be held today, the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision.
The U.S. Capitol Police said sledding on Capitol Hill – which only recently became legal after an act of Congress – would be welcome for the first time in decades, as long as conditions are safe.
At least one industry could benefit: Eastern ski resorts, which suffered from December’s record high temperatures.
He said he’s expecting 40 inches of dry, powdery snow, flawless for skiing.
Advertisement
Borenstein reported from Kensington, Maryland.
