Maryland and Virginia residents are preparing for a possibly significant winter storm that is expected to deliver heavy snowfall and dangerously low temperatures starting Sunday afternoon according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

Snow was falling in New Orleans, where as much as 8 inches were expected to accumulate by the end of the day, threatening to tie a record set in 1895.

A major winter storm prompts blizzard warnings, dumping heavy snow and sleet in a region where even flurries are a rare sight.