NMAI in DC closes doors as East Coast prepares for major storm

A blast from the past: the National Museum of the American Indian shortly before its opening in September 2004. File photo by Indianz.Com

The National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., is closed as the East Coast prepares for a major blizzard.

The museum, along with other Smithsonian facilities, shut its doors at noon and will remain closed on Saturday and Sunday. A post on Facebook cited "heavy snow and high winds" in the nation's capital.

Snow began falling in D.C. and in the region around 1:30pm Eastern. Forecasts are calling for 20 to 30 inches over the weekend.

The storm is also going to hit New York City so the NMAI in Lower Manhattan has postponed the Thunderbird Social, featuring the Thunderbird American Indian Dancers, until January 30.

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