A potentially historic Nor'easter is about to dump up to two feet of snow on parts of the Northeast. Here's what you need to know:
How much snow?
An area from New York City to Maine is expected to get as much as one to two feet of snow, according the latest advisory from the National Weather Service. Coastal New England may get as much as three feet of snow, according to The Weather Channel.
Why is this such a big storm?
This massive weather system is a combination of two storms: one coming out of the Midwest and one tracking up the East Coast. As the systems merge, we can expect heavy snow and strong winds.
Power
Power outages are a major concern. Fifty million people are in the path of the potentially historic storm, according to NPR's Mark Memmot. The Boston Globe's meteorologist David Epstein recommends keeping your home a few degrees warmer tonight in case the power does go out, but says that the snow won't be the heavy, wet kind that weighs down power lines.
Travel
Blizzard conditions will make travel extremely dangerous.
Airlines have already cancelled close to 3,000 flights within, to, or from the U.S. on Friday; 815 flights are already cancelled on Saturday.
Amtrak is suspending service from New York City to Boston starting Friday afternoon.
The MTA has a complete roundup of storm preparation here. Some lines that normally run express will be operating on local tracks. The LIRR and Metro-North are running extra early afternoon trains to get people out of the city. Evening service may be suspended if conditions are bad enough.
Closings and Emergencies
Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island have declared states of emergencies.
The Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority is suspending all service, including subways, buses, commuter rail and boats starting at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 8. Schools are closed in Boston.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is encouraging people to go home early Friday ahead of the blizzard.
Timeline
Here's the weather outlook for New York City:
Friday: Chance of precipitation is 100 percent. Expect a mixture of snow and rain. A total daytime snow accumulation of 2 to 5 inches is possible. Temperatures will remain in the upper 30s, falling to around 30 this afternoon. Wind gusts of 25 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph this afternoon.
Friday night: Snow, heavy at times. Additional snow accumulation of 6 to 10 inches. Windy with lows in the mid 20s. North winds 20 to 25 mph with gusts up to 40 mph.
Saturday: Snow likely in the morning, mainly before noon, then a gradual clearing and then partly sunny in the afternoon. Total snow accumulation of 10 to 14 inches is possible.
Here's the latest snowfall forecast from Wunderground:
SEE ALSO: Here's What A 'Nor'easter' Means