A blizzard could lash the Northeast with heavy snow and tropical-storm-force winds this weekend

• Millions could be affected by an impending blizzard threatening to slam into the Northeast US.
• New England may see heavy snow and strong winds starting Friday and continuing into Saturday.

People from New England to North Carolina could be affected by heavy snow and strong winds as an impending blizzard threatens the area this weekend.

Experts expected the worst of the storm to hit New England, with more than 5 million under a winter-storm watch starting Friday, though forecasters were still unsure how bad the storm could be.

—NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) January 26, 2022

Massachusetts and Rhode Island could be hit with 8 to 16 inches of snow and face winds moving up to 60 miles per hour, the National Weather Service in Boston said.

Forecasters said Philadelphia and New York City would see up to 8 inches of snow, while Washington, DC, could be dusted with up to 2 inches.

The storm is expected to start in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Georgia and quickly make its way up the East Coast, creating strong winds and blizzard conditions, CNN reported.

"This storm is likely to strengthen at a rate, and to an intensity, equivalent to only the most powerful hurricanes, so the high-end potential of this storm cannot be overstated. But with nor'easters, like in real estate, it will all come down to location, location, location," CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller said.

The National Weather Service warned that the storm could bring power outages, damage, and coastal flooding.