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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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