This weekend's monster blizzard could rival some of these historic winter storms

Winter Storm Jonas could end up being one of the heftier snowstorms to hit the Northeast in recent memory.

Forecasters are predicting heavy snow and high winds throughout the Mid-Atlantic starting Friday afternoon and lasting through Saturday night. The National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning for Washington, DC and Baltimore and a blizzard watch for New York.

DC may be the hardest hit, where meteorologists expect at least 2 feet of snow to blanket the city. That would make it the biggest snowstorm since 1922, Mashable reports. New York is also expected to receive 8 to 12 inches of snow, and parts of the New Jersey coast could suffer severe flooding.

But how does this blizzard stack up against previous winter storms?

Here's how Jonas compares with other major storms that have hit the northeast, from the Knickerbocker Storm of 1922 to the more recent Snowmageddon of 2010:

Snowmageddon

This massive Nor'easter that struck the Mid-Atlantic on Feb. 5-6, 2010 brought a record snowfall of 20 to 30 inches, with more than 3 feet in some regions. The storm shut down the Federal government for almost a week, forced airports to close, made roads impassable, and cut off power to more than 200,000 people.

President's Day storm of 2003

A major snowstorm hit eastern New York and western New England on Feb. 14-19, 2003. The heaviest snowfalls were southeast of the Capital District near Albany, with up to 2 feet in the Berkshires. It was the snowiest winter on record for Albany, with more than 105 inches recorded.

Blizzard of 1996

Another giant Nor'easter shut down the East Coast from Boston to DC for nearly a week from January 6-8, 1996. DC, Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston saw snowfalls of 19 to 31 inches, with 5- to 8-foot snow drifts. The storm was responsible for more than $500 million in damage, helped cause 60 deaths, and brought travel and commerce to a crawl for five days afterward.

Knickerbocker Storm of 1922

The biggest snowstorm on record in DC occurred during Jan. 27-28, 1922, when 28 inches of snow were recorded. The storm was named after the Knickerbocker Theatre, which collapsed during Jan. 28, killing 98 people and injuring 133.

Of course, the storm forecast this weekend is still just a prediction. It could end up like the "historic blizzard" that was supposed to hit New York City in January 2015, which was much less severe than predicted.

Whatever happens this weekend, it's important to be safe. But that doesn't mean we can't all enjoy a little winter weather!

NOW WATCH: A historic blizzard may slam the Northeast this weekend

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