A massive nor'easter blanketed the eastern part of the U.S. Saturday in
what could be a historic storm for Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and
New York.
Meteorologists forecast 20 - 25 inches of snow to fall in the region of
Washington, D.C., and Baltimore. If the nation's capital surpasses 28
inches of snow, it would be the city's largest snowfall on record.
New York City was forecast to have 15 - 20 inches of snow fall as
officials declared a winter weather emergency. If New York City
surpasses 21 inches of snow, it would be the city's third greatest
snowfall on record.
The storm has left at least three dead and caused more than 2,000
traffic collisions in North Carolina and Virginia, officials said. More
than 9,000 flights have been canceled for this weekend while cities
braced for the worst.
As the heavy snow falls from Virginia to New York City, expected gusty winds of more than 40 mph will make it a crippling storm.
Here is the latest on this major nor'easter.
Snow Accumulations as of 7 a.m. Saturday
Washington, D.C.: The nation’s capital has received about a foot of snow.
Reston, Virginia: About 15 inches of snow have fallen.
Newwark, New Jersey: At least 3 inches of snow has fallen in that part of the state.
Philadelphia: The City of Brotherly Love has received about 8.5 inches of snow.
Baltimore: Nearly 10 inches of snow has fallen in Baltimore.
New York City: At least a few inches of snow though there have been no official measurements yet.
Fatalities
There were three deaths in two states -- Virginia and North Carolina --
as result of this storm system Friday. All three were the result of car
crashes, police said.
Emergency Declarations
Nine states -- Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, North
Carolina, West Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, New Jersey -- and the District of Columbia have issued emergency declarations.
New York City also declared a winter weather emergency but New York State did not.
Matt Slocum/AP PHOTOBlizzard Warnings
A blizzard
warning is in effect for Washington; Baltimore, Maryland; Wilmington,
Delaware; Philadelphia; Trenton, N.J.; Newark, N.J.; New York City; and,
Long Island, New York.
In Philadelphia, the blizzard warning last until 10 a.m. Sunday. The
blizzard warning in New York City lasts until 1 p.m. Sunday.
Power Outages
New Jersey: 3,625 customers
North Carolina and South Carolina: 148,887 customers
Philadelphia: 59 customers
Northern Virginia: 407 customers
Maryland: 9,690 customers
Washington, D.C. and New York City: fewer than 5 each.
Problems in the South and on the Coast
North Carolina had about 1,274 reported traffic collisions, according to the state's highway patrol.
The Virginia State Police responded to 989 traffic crashes and 793 disabled vehicles on Friday alone.
A shelter opened for drivers in Kentucky after Interstate 75 shut down
due to poor weather conditions. Kentucky State Police said late Friday
that emergency management teams were making their way to the stranded
cars with water and fuel.
Flight Cancellations
Airlines have cancelled over 9,000 flights for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, according to FlightAware.com.
Philadelphia International Airport has cancelled all flights for
Saturday while Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina
is running with limited operations.
The Baltimore Office of Emergency Management said late Friday that all
flight operations at Baltimore–Washington International Airport were
stopped due to the inclement weather.
ABC News' Max Golembo, Dan Peck, Margaret Chadbourn and Matthew Foster contributed to this report.
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