"A massive winter storm was barreling toward Washington D.C. on Friday, with the system poised to drop near-record snowfall on the U.S. capital before walloping New York and other East Coast cities with blizzard conditions.

The National Weather Service described the storm as "potentially crippling" for a swath of the Northeast, with snowfall exceeding two feet (61 cm) in the Baltimore and Washington D.C. metro areas.

A blizzard watch was issued for New York City and parts of Long Island and New Jersey starting early Saturday. Snow accumulation could reach 12 inches (30 cm) in the region, forecasters said. Southeastern Pennsylvania, including Philadelphia, was expecting 10 to 16 inches (25 to 42 cm) of snow. "

Victoria Cavaliere reports for Reuters January 22, 2016. [2]