BOSTON (AP) — A powerful winter storm that’s expected to produce blizzard conditions today and Saturday is prompting people in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions of the U.S. to prepare for snow, wind and colder temperatures.

Heavy snow and strong winds were forecasted to begin in parts of the Carolinas and Appalachia on this evening, according to the National Weather Service.

The system will then intensify as a nor’easter off the East Coast and bring similar conditions farther north on Saturday. Localized snowfall totals of up to 20 inches were possible, the weather service said.

Officials also said wind-blown snow could make travel “nearly impossible.”

Colder forecast temperatures after the storm mean dangerous wind chills are possible Saturday night.