Deep snow impact: Blizzard changing schedules throughout Eastern U.S.
Witha blizzard bearing down on the Eastern United States, numerous sporting events in the region planned for the weekend have been forced to adjust their schedules.
However, while the storm affected the Carolina Panthers' practice Friday, there are no indications it will have an impact on Sunday's NFC Championship Game between Carolina and the Arizona Cardinals at Bank of America Stadium.
Some areas of the mid-Atlantic are bracing for 1 to 3 feet of snow and strong winds, according to AccuWeather, affecting travel from Washington, D.C., to Philadelphia and New York City.
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser asked residents to "hunker down" and "shelter in place" Friday morning. Flakes began falling in the Maryland suburbs Friday afternoon.
The Washington Capitals were scheduled to play the Anaheim Ducks on Friday night, but that game has been postponed after initially being moved to an earlier start time. A ruling on the Capitals' Sunday game against the Pittsburgh Penguins will be made Saturday morning.
In the NBA, the Wizards' Saturday night contest against the Utah Jazz was postponed, and the Boston Celtics' game in Philadelphia against the 76ers was moved from Saturday to Sunday.
Several college basketball games in the D.C. area and throughout the East have been rescheduled, either moved up to complete the contests ahead of the storm or postponed to later in the weekend or next week.
In Charlotte, North Carolina, the Panthers moved up practice to a 10:15 a.m. start but still held it outdoors.
"Mario Addison said it best: 'The elements may change, but we don't, we don't change who we are.' So we went out and practiced," Panthers coach Ron Rivera said. "The guys had great energy. They really were focused in on what they need to do with the exception of a few guys making snow angels out there. In fact, on the offensive side I don't think we dropped a pass."
The Cardinals are scheduled to fly into Charlotte on Saturday, a previously planned travel day due to the 6:40 p.m. ET start of Sunday's game.
NASCAR postponed its 2016 Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Charlotte from Friday night to Saturday afternoon because of snow and ice. Former drivers Terry Labonte, Curtis Turner, Bobby Isaac and Jerry Cook will join track owner and operator Bruton Smith as members of the 2016 induction class.
Five states and the District of Columbia have declared states of emergency ahead of the slow-moving system that started dumping snow in Virginia, Tennessee and other parts of the South on Friday.
Blizzard warnings or watches were in effect from Arkansas through Tennessee and Kentucky to the Middle Atlantic states and as far north as New York. The snowfall is expected to continue through Saturday.
ESPN's David Newton and Bob Pockrass and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
