By Mark Leberfinger, AccuWeather.com Staff Writer
January 21,2016; 10:37PM,EST
Delays and cancelations are mounting across the eastern U.S. ahead of a blizzard expected to dump excessive snow from Washington, D.C., to Philadelphia and New York City.
Before the storm aims for the Northeast, snow, ice and severe weather will impact the South.
As the storm strengthens, wind speeds and snowfall rates will increase. White-out conditions will occur in several states. The storm will threaten to shut down highways and airports in its path.
More than 50 million people are likely to be affected through the weekend. The full forecast, including predicted snow totals, can be found here.
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UPDATES: (All times are listed in EST)
10:50 p.m. EST Thursday: Tennessee declares a state of emergency due to winter storm, according to the state's Emergency Management Agency.
10:47 p.m. EST Thursday: At least 2,500 Arkansas electric customers are without service due to winter storm, utilities report.
10:31 p.m. EST Thursday: Storm damage shown in Lamar County, Mississippi.
10:04 p.m. EST Thursday: Signs of winter preparation are seen on Virginia roads.
8:21 p.m. EST Thursday: Amtrak said it will be modifying its schedule in the Northeast due to the winter storm.
6:31 p.m. EST Thursday: The NHL game between the Washington Capitals and Anaheim Ducks scheduled for Friday night has been changed from 7 p.m. to 5 p.m. in light of the changes to the Metro schedule.
6:28 p.m. EST Thursday: The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency has declared a level three state of emergency ahead of the winter storm.
5:45 p.m. EST Thursday: Several college basketball games scheduled to be played in Philadelphia this weekend have been rescheduled.
"This is not a storm that anyone should take lightly, and I would urge all residents to plan to get to a safe place before the storm arrives Friday afternoon," Metro General Manager/CEO Paul J. Wiedefeld said in a statement. "The actions we are taking today are all in the interest of our customers' and employees' safety, and will help us return to service once the storm passes and the snow is cleared."
4:11 p.m. EST Thursday: Another look at the barren shelves at grocery stores in Washington, D.C.
(Photo/Twitter user @TreyYingst)
(Photo/Twitter user @TreyYingst)3:46 p.m. EST Thursday: All American Airlines flights scheduled for Friday at Charlotte Douglas International Airport have been canceled, The Charlotte Observer reports.
3:16 p.m. EST Thursday: The University of Maryland has postponed classes ahead of the blizzard.
1:49 p.m. EST Thursday: More than 4 inches of snow reported in Tucker County, West Virginia, according an NWS observer.
1:15 p.m. EST Thursday: Residents around the Washington, D.C., area are clearing out grocery stores before the storm hits:
The water aisle was nearly empty at a grocery store in Fairfax, Va., on Wednesday night. (Twitter Photo/@The_Tonian)
An empty shelf at a store in Rockville, Md., on Wednesday. (Instagram Photo/sesmallwood)12:58 p.m. EST Thursday: United announced travel waivers for customers at more than 30 airports across the Northeast and mid-Atlantic that may be affected by the storm. More details can be found here.
12:38 p.m. EST Thursday: Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf declared a state of emergency in order to respond to state needs as soon as possible during the storm.
12:18 p.m. EST Thursday: Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm, effective 7 a.m. Friday.
At a press conference, he said road crews will begin pre-treating roads on Thursday.
11:41 a.m. EST Thursday: In advance of the storm, now is the time to take proper precautions. Stock up on food, water and batteries. Watch the video below for more tips:
How to prepare for the snowstorm
He said the storm caused two fatalities on Wednesday night, one in Stokes County and the other in Forsyth County.
10:40 a.m. EST Thursday: Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser declared a state of emergency for the city beginning at 9:30 a.m. Friday.
In a press conference, she apologized for an "inadequate response" to the small snow event on Wednesday that caused severe travel problems around the city.
"We're preparing for a blizzard," Bowser said. "We're working very hard not only to be responsive to the predictions but to be nimble enough to respond to any changes."
Public schools will be closed on Friday.
She encouraged residents and commuters to get home as early as possible on Friday and to avoid roads on Saturday.
"Sunday will be a major cleanup day," she said, adding that efforts will continue into Monday as well.
8:15 a.m. EST Thursday: Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe has declared a state of emergency as of 8:00 a.m., authorizing state agencies to assist local governments in response to the impending storm. More information on the state's actions and what citizens should do to prepare can be found in the press release.
8:00 a.m. EST Thursday: In response to the winter weather across the Northeast, Delta Airlines is permitting a one-time change to all tickets for flights traveling to, from or through various eastern cities. The airline is also vowing to issue refunds for flights canceled or significantly delayed. A full list of affected locations can be found here.
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