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Washington, D.C., will be in the crosshairs of 'historic' snowstorm

Washington, D.C., is bracing to be in the heart of a monster storm that will clobber the East Coast with snow and ice this weekend, forecasters warned.
Clearing a path for Congress, an employee of the Architect of the Capitol shovel snow off the steps of the U.S. House of Representatives as more snow continues to fall on Jan. 6, 2015 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty)
Clearing a path for Congress, an employee of the Architect of the Capitol shovel snow off the steps of the U.S. House of Representatives as more snow continues to fall on Jan. 6, 2015 in Washington, DC.
By Cassandra Vinograd, Cassandra Vinograd and Elizabeth Chuck, Elizabeth Chuck

Washington, D.C., is bracing to be in the heart of a monster storm that will clobber the East Coast with snow and ice this weekend, forecasters warned.

"Confidence is high in this being a historic snowstorm for the Mid-Atlantic region," NBC meteorologist Bill Karins said Wednesday.

On an unseasonably cold day, a homeless person tries to stay warm at the entrance of a subway station near the White House in Washington, Jan. 20, 2016. (Photo by Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)
On an unseasonably cold day, a homeless person tries to stay warm at the entrance of a subway station near the White House in Washington, Jan. 20, 2016.

The nation's capital could get 18 to 24 inches of snow, according to the Weather Channel. The National Weather service issued a blizzard watch for the city on Wednesday, and will be in effect Friday afternoon through late Saturday night. Baltimore, Maryland, was also included in the blizzard watch.

The Midwest and East Coast already have faced frigid temperatures this week — and a storm due to start taking shape Thursday promises another wintry wallop for millions.