Frosty the Snowman eludes Canadian border guards

“Snowmageddon: Snowstorm likely to be historic

Crippling accumulations over 1 to 2 feet may be common

* Winter Storm Warning Friday morning through Saturday evening *
* 2 double-digit snows? | Q&A transcript | Winter driving tips *
* Follow the snowstorm on twitter: #snOMG | E-mail forecast to a friend *
* News, traffic & storm coverage: Local home page | Get There *

It is hard to believe that we're about to see another storm like we saw in December -- usually a once in several year occurrence. But it's real and it's becoming increasingly likely that a historic event is in the cards. If you have any doubts, check out this afternoon's satellite shot showing amazing moisture feeds into what is already a gigantic system. The time is now to make final preparations as we are less than 24 hours out from the start.

FORECAST IN DETAIL

Through tonight: The calm before the monster storm continues as skies trend cloudier. Lows in the mid-to-upper 20s.

Tomorrow (Friday): We won't warm much with clouds and precipitation inbound. Look for highs in the mid 30s, falling back to and below freezing as snow gets underway by the late morning or early afternoon. By evening, snow should be falling at a moderate pace with at least 3-5" of accumulation common across the area and rates increasing into the night.

Dangerous weather: This will be a high-impact storm any way you cut it. Heavy wet snow will create difficult digging out conditions and may lead to numerous power outages. To minimize the risk of injury during digging, it is best to clear snow often. Wind and near-blizzard (or even blizzard) conditions may occur overnight Friday and into Saturday, Blizzard Warnings are already up to our east and we did have them issued in December. Be prepared to be stuck where you are for at least 24-48 hours, if not longer as suggested through a message delivered by the state of Virginia. And if all else fails, check out this "Snopocalypse D.C." web site for further instructions."