Winter Storm

Winter Storm Jonas Hits South, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic; 3 Dead as Travel Conditions Worsen

A potentially crippling snowstorm has made its way towards the South, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, bringing with it not just big snow, but ice, high winds and flooding as well. Two people have died due to traffic incidents, and hundreds of crashes have been reported.

In the face of blizzard warnings in D.C., Baltimore, New York City, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, millions of residents are preparing for a havoc-filled weekend. The storm has already brought treacherous travel conditions and power outages across the South. Washington D.C. and at least eight states made emergency declarations: New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Tennessee.

(Cities Prepare for Winter Storm: D.C. | Raleigh and Charlotte | New York City | Philadelphia)

North Carolina saw at least two fatal crashes as Winter Storm Jonas slammed the state. On Friday morning, treacherous conditions on Interstate 95 caused a serious wreck in Johnston County in which one person died. On Friday afternoon, a fatal accident on Interstate 77 in Iredell County resulted in the death of a child. According to WSOC TV, the child was secured in a child's car seat at the time of the crash, and three other passengers were hospitalized with injuries.

In Virginia, slick conditions have led to hundreds of crashes and one weather-related traffic fatality, according to Virginia State Police. More than 600 vehicles are disabled in the state.

Gridlock in Nashville, Tennessee, brought traffic at a dead stop as 7 inches of snow blanketed the city Friday afternoon.

More than 50 incidents were reported in South Carolina along I-85, but no major injuries were reported.

(FORECAST: Get the Latest on What to Expect from Winter Storm Jonas)

Across the country, airlines are preparing for delays and cancellations on Friday and Saturday. As of Friday morning, more than 2,700 flights had been cancelled for Friday and an additional 3,300-and-counting have been cancelled for Saturday, according to Flight Aware. American, Southwest and Delta have issued travel waivers to customers. Delta is offering full refunds while Southwest is allowing travelers to reschedule their flights without any penalties.

United Airlines announced on Friday that it would be shutting down operations at the airports in New Jersey, Baltimore, New York LaGuardia, Philadelphia, Washington Dulles and Washington National. All flights have been canceled at the Philadelphia airport for Saturday and are expected to resume Sunday, the AP reported. The American Airlines hub in Charlotte cancelled more than 650 flights for Friday and said it would not keep any planes in Charlotte overnight, the AP reported. Customers will be rebooked and refunded, and flights are expected to resume Saturday.

(MORE: Travel Impacts from Winter Storm Jonas Piling Up)

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said in a statement that it was prepared with more than 200 pieces of snow equipment at airports, more than 60 pieces of equipment at bridges and tunnels, thousands of tons of salt and sand, hundreds of thousands of gallons of anti-icer chemicals, and additional equipment to maintain train tracks. According to the AP, New York's subway system will be supported by 1,000 track workers to keep the trains running through the weekend.

NJ TRANSIT announced a shutdown Friday night of all bus, train and light rail service beginning at 2 a.m. Saturday "with service resuming as weather conditions permit."

Amtrak announced it will operate a modified schedule in the Northeast due to the storm and encouraged passengers to monitor their travel status. Other national services along the East Coast will experience cancellations over the weekend, Amtrak said in a press release.

D.C.'s subway system announced it would suspend its Metrorail, Metrobus and MetroAccess services on Friday evening and remain closed all day Saturday and Sunday. According to the AP, taxi cabs are expected to charge a flat rate of $15 on top of the regular metered charge. The National Zoo announced it would be closed from noon Friday through the weekend.

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority announced that it would be suspending service of all SEPTA lines except one, starting at 4 a.m. on Saturday.

(MORE: Will Winter Storm Jonas Rank Among the Biggest East Coast Snowstorms in Living Memory?)

A major concern in New Jersey is the coastal flooding threat. Officials in the city of Barnegat issued a mandatory evacuation for some residents on Friday afternoon alongside a local state of emergency. Residents were advised to evacuate by no later than 10 p.m.

In Georgia, the City of Atlanta closed at 11 a.m. and state offices closed at noon on Friday, while many universities and school systems in the city plan on closing two hours early.

Many schools were closed in North Carolina as well, including the state's major universities. Additionally, over 138,000 people in North Carolina were without power Friday evening.

Winter Storm Jonas in Photos