A winter storm that could bury parts of the U.S. Mid-Atlantic region under nearly 3 feet (90 cm) of snow slammed into Washington on Friday, threatening the nation's capital with record accumulations as it barreled up the populous East Coast.

The blizzard started to blanket the Washington area during the early afternoon. Six people had died in car crashes as a wintry mix spread across Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky.

The storm could dump 2 to 2½ feet (61 to 76 cm) of snow on the capital and bring winds of 30 to 50 mph (48 to 80 kph) before winding down late Saturday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.