'Blizzard' conditions predicted for Washington, BaltimoreFebruary 4, 2010 2:01 p.m. EST
A winter storm will slam the Northeast and mid-Atlantic with snow this weekend. Heavy rain hits the Southeast today.STORY HIGHLIGHTS
NEW: "Near-blizzard conditions" predicted for Washington and Baltimore, Maryland
NEW: Winter storm watch upgraded to winter storm warning
NEW: Travel expected to be "very hazardous or nearly impossible" in some areas Friday
Heavy rain and flooding predicted in the Southeast
RELATED TOPICS
Winter Weather
National Weather Service
D.C. Metro Area
(CNN) -- Washington and Baltimore, Maryland, may experience "near-blizzard conditions" starting Friday, the National Weather Service said.
The agency upgraded a winter storm watch to a winter storm warning, saying up to two feet of snow could be dumped this weekend across portions of the mid-Atlantic and Northeast.
A winter storm warning -- issued when significant amounts of snow are expected or occurring -- was in effect for Washington and Baltimore, Maryland. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was also targeted to receive the brunt of the storm.
The storm will make travel "very hazardous or nearly impossible Friday night," the agency warned.
iReport: Share your photos and video with CNN
Baltimore could receive 16 to 18 inches of snow, with isolated amounts of two feet; Washington, 12 to 16 inches with isolated amounts up to 20 inches; and Philadelphia, eight to 12 inches.
Winter storm watches also cover most of Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, southern New Jersey, eastern West Virginia, Indiana, Ohio and western North Carolina. Up to two inches of snow are predicted for Newark, New Jersey, and New York.
Winter storm warnings, indicating that severe weather is almost certain to occur, were issued for the southern and central Appalachians.
In the Southeast, heavy rain today will cause widespread minor flooding and isolated moderate flooding across the region, forecasters said. Flood watches are in effect for southeastern Louisiana, southern Mississippi, southeastern Alabama, the central Florida Panhandle and most of Georgia.
