National Weather Service snowfall forecast for the East Coast storm. Areas west of D.C. could see 3 feet.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Mayor Muriel Bowser has declared a state of emergency in Washington, D.C., as a potentially historic blizzard approaches.
The emergency declaration took effect immediately on Thursday afternoon. It will remain in effect for 15 days unless the mayor decides otherwise. It allows the District of Columbia government to request federal disaster aid.
Governors in Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia have also declared states of emergency.
The District of Columbia will also be under a snow emergency starting Friday morning, which means vehicles parked on snow emergency routes will be towed. City schools will be closed Friday, and city government offices will close Friday at noon. The federal government has yet to announce a plan for its workers.
Heavy snow is expected to begin sometime Friday, with forecasts calling for 2 feet or more in the nation’s capital, which would be one of the biggest storms on record.
