What We Know: Key Takeaways on ‘Potentially Crippling’ Storm

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 21: A pile of shoveled snow stands in the plaza on the east side of the U.S. Capitol January 21, 2016 in Washington, DC. One inch of snowfall delayed school openings in the greater Washington, DC, area on Thursday as people along the Easter Seaboard prepare for a blizzard to arrive within the next 24 hours. Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

As people across the eastern United States prepare for this weekend’s winter storm, here’s what we know:

What is it?

“A potentially crippling winter storm,” according to the National Weather Service, which forecasts heavy snow and high winds across the northern mid-Atlantic region, including Baltimore, Washington, Philadelphia and New York City.

This image provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) shows a computer model forecasting the chances of a snow storm hitting the East Coast this weekend, Jan. 22-23, 2016. Snow up to two feet, was forecast for areas west and southwest of the Washington, with Washington possibly getting 15 to 20 inches, Philadelphia could see 12 to 18, and New York City and Long Island could see 8 to 10, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration via AP