BOSTON (AP) — Residents and officials in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions of the U.S. are bracing for a powerful winter storm expected to produce blizzard conditions Friday and Saturday. The National Weather Service says heavy snow and strong winds were forecasted to begin in parts of the Carolinas and Appalachia on Friday evening. The system will then intensify as a nor’easter off the East Coast and bring snowy conditions up through New England, where forecasters warned of localized snowfall of more than 20 inches. Officials also say wind-blown snow could make travel nearly impossible and colder temperatures could mean dangerous wind chills.