A powerful nor'easter in the forecast has delayed a meeting between President Donald Trump and Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, until later this week.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said the meeting originally scheduled for Tuesday has been postponed until Friday because of the coming storm.

The meeting will be the first between the two leaders. Their itinerary is set to include discussions on NATO, the Islamic State group and Ukraine's conflict, all matters that require close cooperation between the U.S. and Germany, as well as a joint press conference.

A blast of late winter weather is expected to blanket much of the Northeast this week, with up to 8 inches of snow and sleet accumulation forecast for Washington, starting Monday evening.