East Coast blizzard may dump record snow on Washington
A winter storm that could bury parts of the U.S. Middle Atlantic region under nearly 3 feet (90 cm) of snow slammed into Washington on January 22, threatening the nation's capital with record accumulations as it barreled up the populous East Coast.
The blizzard started to blanket the Washington area during the early afternoon. Six people had died in car crashes as a wintry mix spread across Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky.
The storm could dump 2 to 2-1/2 feet (61 to 76 cm) of snow on the capital and bring winds of 30 to 50 mph (48 to 80 kph) before winding down late on January 23 afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.
By then it would have moved over Philadelphia and New York, bringing 12 to 18 inches (30 to 46 cm) of snow.
Washington's western suburbs may get up to 3 feet (90 cm), forecasters said. In Falls Church, Virginia, about 8 miles (13 km) west of the capital, a thick curtain of snow was already piling up on deserted streets on Friday evening, creating a peaceful tableau that disguised dangerous driving conditions.
"I want to be very clear with everybody. This is a major storm," Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said as the city braced for what could turn out to be one of the worst storms in its history. "This has life-and-death implications and all the residents of the District of Columbia should treat it that way."
Emergency officials had planned for days as the storm approached, and residents scrambled to stock up on supplies. The Weather Channel said more than 85 million people in at least 20 states were covered by a winter weather warning, watch or advisory.
Airlines canceled nearly 6,300 flights for January 22 and January 23, most at airports in the New York and Philadelphia areas, according to flight tracking website FlightAware.com. Another nearly 7,000 flights were delayed on January 22.
Washington's snowfall could eclipse the "Snowmageddon" storm of 2010 that dropped 17.8 inches (45.2 cm), AccuWeather senior meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said. If forecasts prove accurate, the storm could rival the 1922 Knickerbocker storm, which dumped a record 28 inches (71 cm) on the city.