So how bad will it be?  NBC4 chief meteorologist Bob Ryan said this storm could be a lot like the December storm that dropped up to 2 feet of snow in some parts of the D.C. region. 

The initial estimates from the National Weather Service start at 16 inches and go to 24 inches.  Ryan said light snow could start to fall in the area between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.  Moderate to heavy snow will start to fall between 7 p.m. and midnight.

NBC4 meteorologist Tom Kierein said snow could fall at a rate of 1 to 2 inches an hour from 6 p.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Saturday.

Ryan said a couple of inches of snow could be on the ground by Friday evening's rush hour.  We could see 6 to 8 inches by midnight and a foot is possible by dawn on Saturday, with more to come throughout the day.

Whatever amount of snow we receive should last quite a while, as the storm will be followed by the coldest air of the season.  The cold wave could last for nearly a week following the storm, so the snow won't melt anytime soon.