According to ABC News, the "major day" for the nor'easter is Friday, when heavy snow is expected to accumulate throughout the interior Northeast while torrential rains pound the coast.
Areas between Philadelphia and New York City are expected to receive one to two inches of rain; Boston, Providence and Cape Cod are looking at three to five inches of rain before one to three inches of snow move in. Central New York may even get over one foot of snow.
The storm's powerful winds are already doing damage to houses and cars. The gale force gusts even caused the US federal government to take a sick day.
In response to the weather conditions, hundreds of flights scheduled to land in Washington, DC, New York and Boston have been cancelled. Officials with Amtrak also announced that service would be temporarily suspended until clearance has been given to resume.
Winds at Virginia's Dulles Airport even caused air traffic controllers to evacuate the control tower, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement, though they have since returned. One pilot's report detailing his landing at Dulles offered more insight into just how strong the winds are whipping.
"[The plane was] very bumpy on descent," the report stated, according to WJLA. "Pretty much everyone on the plane threw up. Pilots were on the verge of throwing up [due to the turbulence]."
Although the storm is expected to part ways with the US on Saturday, it will only mean an end to the rain and snow. The tree-toppling winds and a coastal flooding threat will remain for much of the weekend.
Over yonder on the West Coast, the weather is scarcely kinder.
While much of northern California is under a winter weather advisory, forecasters say the area will likely have near-zero visibility as 100 mph winds wreak havoc — Cali's Mammoth Mountain has already accumulated 48 inches of snow.
Southern California, on the other hand, is under a winter storm warning, leading officials to issue mandatory evacuation orders in some parts to avoid deaths from flooding and potential mudslides. A total of 30,000 residents in Santa Barbara County have been issued evacuation orders, AP reported.
"The decision to evacuate these areas is being made out of an abundance of caution," Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said in a statement. "Due to the size and breadth of the evacuation area, not all residents will be contacted in person."
"Do not wait for deputies or someone else to come to your home or business," Brown added.
According to the NBC broadcaster, five people were killed on Friday in the states of Virginia, Maryland, New York and Rhode Island. Two victims are children — an 11-year-old boy in New York and a 6-year-old boy in Virginia.
As Riley hammered the mid-Atlantic on Friday morning, the US federal offices and schools were closed for the day in Washington DC.
Heavy snow and rain as well as strong winds were registered in 15 states of the US eastern coast. The storm left more than 1.6 million homes and businesses without electricity.