Mid-Atlantic Braces for Massive Snowstorm

Shoppers jammed aisles and emptied stores of milk, bread, and shovels today as a massive snowstorm blew into the mid-Atlantic region. Forecasters predicted a record 30 inches or more for Washington, DC—which last saw at least 28 inches of snow in 1922—and authorities already were blaming the storm for the deaths of father-son Samaritans in Virginia.

The region's second snow storm in less than 2 months could be "extremely dangerous," and heavy, wet snow and strong winds threatened to knock out power, the National Weather Service said. Flakes started falling around noon in Washington, where the federal government sent workers home early. The storm's wide swath and predictions of historic proportions for an area ill-equipped for snow had airlines canceling flights and school districts closing hours before any snow arrived. (More winter stories.)