RTX23LX4
A couple pauses to take a 'selfie' in the freshly fallen snow near the Washington Monument in Washington. REUTERS

A major storm has already begun to take hold of the Northeast and may become one of the strongest blizzards that area has seen in seven years. Winter Storm Jonas will hit the East Coast over the weekend, bringing along powerful winds and flooding.

As much as two feet of snow could pummel Baltimore, Philadelphia and Washington D.C. over the weekend, the National Weather Service has warned residents. The New York area could be greeted with up to 18 inches of snow, according to forecasts. Also, since the weekend will see a full moon, this will mean high tides, which could lead to extreme flooding on the East Coast.

Weather forecasters expect Jonas to be the first major winter storm of the season. As a precautionary measure, thousands of flights scheduled for the weekend were delayed and canceled before the storm.

Early Friday afternoon, people had already took to social media to share their Winter Storm Jonas photos and videos.

RTX23M5W
Workers prepare to treat the steps of the U.S. Capitol with ice melting salt in Washington, Jan. 22, 2015. REUTERS
RTX23M08
People pose for pictures in the freshly fallen snow outside the White House, Jan. 22, 2015. REUTERS
RELATED STORIES
Blizzard Storm