WASHINGTON, D.C. — As the region braces for a snow storm expected to drop close to three-feet of snow, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) and the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) are planning to shutdown their subway and bus systems for the weekend, several news outlets, including The Hill reported.

WMATA announced Thursday that in an "unprecedented" move, it will stop running trains at 11 p.m. on Friday evening and halt buses after 5 p.m.

“This is not a storm that anyone should take lightly, and I would urge all residents to plan to get to a safe place before the storm arrives Friday afternoon,” METRO GM Paul Wiedefeld said in a statement. “The actions we are taking today are all in the interest of our customers’ and employees’ safety, and will help us return to service once the storm passes and the snow is cleared.”

Meanwhile, the MTA is set to halt service after midnight on Friday.

"A major storm is about to hit our region and we, at the MTA, care about our customers and want them to be prepared, safe and well-informed,” said MTA Administrator/CEO Paul Comfort in a statement. “To make that happen, we’re telling people our plans for transit in advance; however, these plans may change depending on the severity of the storm. We encourage the public to get to their destinations quickly as transit schedules are based upon weather conditions...The steps we are taking today are to protect the safety of our customers and operators, allow first responders and snow removal equipment unimpeded access to the roads, and allow the MTA to return more quickly to normal operations after the storm.”