From staff and wire reports
 (CNN)
--- A major storm was developing Friday over the Atlantic Ocean
near North Carolina and is expected to quickly gain strength before
making a run up the East Coast.
Forecasters
said the storm would combine with another system moving in from
the Midwest and drop what meteorologists call a "weather
bomb" on the New York area and southern New England.
The developing
nor'easter was expected to produce snowfall Friday night in northeastern
North Carolina and coastal areas of Virginia and Maryland, before
bearing down on the Northeast early Saturday.
Washington,
New York, Boston and Philadelphia were all under winter storm
watches on Friday, meaning at least 6 inches of snow is expected.
Forecasters
said up to a foot of snow was possible in the New York metropolitan
area before the storm ended on Sunday. Eight inches of snow was
forecast in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and 7 inches across southern
New England, but forecasters said the storm's track was uncertain
and snowfall amounts could change.
They also
warned of possible blizzard conditions and said flooding and beach
erosion were possible in coastal areas. Extensive travel delays
are expected.
Meteorologist
Bruce Schwoegler of CNN affiliate WBZ in Boston predicted "a
big storm, but not a blockbuster." He said it looked as if
Boston would get 4 to 8 inches of snow on Saturday before strong
coastal winds produced a change to rain. Schwoegler said snow
amounts would be much heavier in the suburbs north and west of
Boston.
The Stop and
Shop grocery store in Arlington, Massachusetts, was so jammed
with people stocking up for the storm that even the store manager
was bagging groceries.
"Ten
registers are open, there are long lines and everybody's bagging,"
a store clerk told CNN.
New Jersey
officials were leaving nothing to chance. The state's transportation
department said it had 150,000 tons of road salt ready, along
with more than 600 snowplows and salt spreaders, and 760 workers
on call for road-cleaning duties.
"We are
ready for the storm," said transportation department spokesman
John Dourgarian. "We follow a rule of thumb; we hope for
the best, but prepare for the worst."
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