A snowstorm has blanketed the United States East Coast and the country's National Weather Service has forecast up to two feet of snow in and around Washington DC over the weekend. Mayor Adrian Fenty has declared a snow emergency in the Washington area, saying all indications are that this will be a major storm – perhaps the biggest seen in several years. In Virginia, Governor Tim Kaine declared a state of emergency. Winter storm warnings were in effect from North Carolina and Tennessee in the south to southern New England in the north. The weather service said travel conditions throughout the region would be extremely treacherous. Authorities were urging drivers to stay off the roads.