Snow storm to hammer East Coast with blizzard conditions

Millions of Americans are bracing for a snow storm that's expected to hammer the East Coast with blizzard conditions this weekend.

Millions of Americans are bracing for a snow storm that's expected to hammer the East Coast with blizzard conditions this weekend.

The National Weather Service issued blizzard warnings on Friday morning from coastal Virginia up to Maine, including several major cities such as Ocean City, Atlantic City, Boston and Portland. Seventeen U.S. states, from the Carolinas to Maine, are on alert for a strong nor'easter to blast coastal areas with heavy snow and gusty winds.

The snowfall is forecast to start on the East Coast late Friday night and continue into Saturday evening in New England, before the storm exits the area, according to ABC News meteorologists. Snowfall totals are estimated to be higher than previously expected due to a number of factors. The storm is expected to move closer to shore, bringing heavy bands of snow inland, with a snowfall rate of 2 to 3 inches per hour. Moreover, the light and fluffy nature of this snow will help it stack up higher than the wet, heavy snow that typically comes with coastal storms.

The latest forecast has 12 to 20 inches of snow for Boston, 6 to 12 inches for New York City, 4 to 6 inches for Philadelphia and 1 to 2 inches for Washington, D.C.