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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Winter storm threatens US east coast with historic blizzard – live updates | Winter storm threatens US east coast with historic blizzard – live updates |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 6.10pm GMT | |
| 18:10 | |
| Republican presidential candidate and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said via Twitter on Friday he is leaving the campaign trail in New Hampshire to help his home state get through the storm. | |
| I'm sorry, NH but I gotta go home - we got snow coming. #Jonas | |
| I want to make sure the people of my state feel safe and secure. #Jonas | |
| But I will be back, because I am able to do both things. The fact is - you are never not the governor. #Jonas | |
| Earlier on Friday New York Mayor Bill de Blasio criticized Christie for staying in New Hampshire instead of dealing with the impending blizzard. | |
| “A day or two ago it might have been a question mark, right now it’s not a question mark anymore,” De Blasio said on CNN on Friday morning. “Obviously we are being warned that it could even be worse. We find this out with each storm. Sometimes it’s less than we expected, sometimes it’s more. So for any governor, it’s time to come home.” | |
| A blizzard warning remains in effect in New York City, portions of northeast New Jersey and Long Island, according to the National Weather Service, which said the area would see heavy snow and strong winds from Saturday morning through Sunday morning. | |
| New Yorkers can expect snow accumulation between 7 and 12 inches and winds north 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 50 mph. | |
| On Thursday morning Mayor Bill de Blasio told New Yorkers to stay at home during the storm. Whiteout conditions are likely, making travel difficult. | |
| “Anyone who has the illusion you’re going to be taking big trips over the weekend, get that out of your mind,” De Blasio said at a Thursday news conference. | |
| De Blasio also detailed the city’s plans for dealing with the storm, and measures being taken to keep trains running. Last year the subway was shut down for the first time in 110 years when a storm was headed for the city, but it shifted east. | |
| The mayor said that the Sanitation Department will deploy workers starting Friday morning, with 2,300 workers per shift. There will be 1,650 sanitation department vehicles fitted with plows, 579 salt spreaders pre-deployed on Friday evening, and 303,000 tons of rock salt available. | |
| 5.55pm GMT | |
| 17:55 | |
| Suzanne Goldenberg | |
| Suzanne Goldenberg has the latest from Washington: | |
| For Washington, this was the second encounter with snow in 48 hours – and people were not taking chances. | |
| After a mere two inches in Wednesday’s rush hour paralysed the city for hours – with people reporting evening commutes of eight hours skidding in block streets – many people seemed to have decided to hunker down early for the storm. | |
| The city’s mayor, Muriel Bowser, who was severely criticised for failing to prepare roads ahead of Wednesday’s dusting, spent the morning with emergency workers. | |
| But there were few signs of snow plows or other deployments in advance of the storm. | |
| Much of the city seemed deserted. A few hardy souls ventured to work – some with snow pants beneath more formal wool work coats, but most people seemed preoccupied with shopping for the storm. | |
| Schools in Washington, and the neighbouring suburbs of Virginia and Maryland were closed. | |
| The national park service announced that the museums and memorials along the Mall were shutting at 12pm on Friday, and would remain closed at least through Sunday. | |
| Businesses also announced they were shutting down early. | |
| Neighbourhood list-servs lit up with sales of used kids’ snowboots and sleds. A few families in the wealthier suburbs such as Bethesda reported they were checking into hotels to avoid the expected power outages. | |
| 5.10pm GMT | 5.10pm GMT |
| 17:10 | 17:10 |
| From the Ozarks to the eastern seaboard, millions of Americans are preparing for a potentially historic blizzard that is forecast to dump at least one foot of snow on the nation’s capital and surrounding states. | From the Ozarks to the eastern seaboard, millions of Americans are preparing for a potentially historic blizzard that is forecast to dump at least one foot of snow on the nation’s capital and surrounding states. |
| In preparation for the storm, the Guardian is bringing live updates on the empty grocery store shelves, sold out snow shovels and dire predictions. Welcome to the blizzard of 2016. | In preparation for the storm, the Guardian is bringing live updates on the empty grocery store shelves, sold out snow shovels and dire predictions. Welcome to the blizzard of 2016. |
| These are the latest predictions from the National Weather Service: | These are the latest predictions from the National Weather Service: |
| Stay tuned for all the latest as the snowstorm bites. Read our latest news report here. | Stay tuned for all the latest as the snowstorm bites. Read our latest news report here. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 5.19pm GMT | at 5.19pm GMT |