Residents across the northeastern U.S. are braced for the worst as a potentially historic blizzard hit the region Friday afternoon. The blizzard is expected to bring winds of over 70 miles per hour and up to 30 inches of snow in some areas of Massachusetts, according to the Boston Globe.

CBS News reports that in preparation for the storm, airlines have canceled over 4,000 flights, and major airports in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Toronto have ceased all operations over the past few hours, and will remain closed until Saturday afternoon at the earliest.  The worst part of the storm is expected to come overnight, starting at around 7 p.m. EST.  

The governors of Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts have declared a state of emergency and have told residents to prepare for power outages. Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick has ordered that all roads in the state be closed to all nonessential travel, with only public safety, media, and essential supply vehicles exempt from the ban.  Violators could face a $500 fine and up to one year in jail.

"The point is not to figure out how to come down hard on people," Patrick told reporters.  "It is to emphasize how critical it is that non-essential travel on the roads cease during this storm and the immediate aftermath. We will be flexible."

The blizzard is expected to pass by Sunday morning at the latest.