WASHINGTON: The leading edge of a monster snowstorm arrived on Friday in Washington, D.C., threatening to dump as many as 30 inches of powder on parts of the Middle Atlantic region and bring record accumulations to the US capital, Reuters reported.

After days of planning by emergency officials and a scramble by residents to stock up on supplies, the blizzard got underway in the nation’s capital at about 1 p.m.

The storm, expected to end late on Saturday afternoon, could leave 2 to 2.5 feet on the ground and bring winds of 48 to 80 kph, according to the National Weather Service.