Washington, D.C. (AP) – A blizzard is about to hit the Eastern United States and forecasters say it’ll be a big one.

The National Weather Service says snow could fall as heavy as 1 to 3 inches an hour in some areas. Washington D.C. could get more than 2 feet. Five states and the District of Columbia already have declared states of emergency.

Forecasters are warning of brutally high winds, dangerous inland flooding, white-out conditions and even the possibility of thunder snow.

The snow is already falling in some parts of the eastern half of the U.S. In Arkansas, about 6 inches of snow fell overnight in the Little Rock area, breaking a snowfall record set more than 20 years ago. The winter storm has shut down schools and state government offices, and the snow continues to fall.
In Shelby County, Tennessee, officials say some bridges and overpasses are icy, but salt and sand trucks have been out since early today.