https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/09/us/snow-storm-north-carolina-virginia.html

“It’s kind of real calming,” said Jones, whose county of rolling hills, farms and forests runs along the Virginia border. “It’s real beautiful.”

That beauty came at a price, though, as a powerful storm plowed across the South this weekend, dumping heavy snow in some areas and sleet and freezing rain in others. Power was knocked out to more than 200,000 customers in North and South Carolina, according to a major utility in the region, forcing people who were left without electricity and heat to stay in hotels and shelters until downed lines can be repaired.

Hundreds of traffic accidents were reported on slick roads across the region, including an incident in Matthews, North Carolina, in which a falling tree struck a vehicle, causing it to careen into a church and killing the driver, according to police.

Travel disruptions were widespread. More than 1,100 flights to or from Charlotte Douglas International Airport had been canceled by Sunday morning because of the storm, according to FlightAware, a flight-tracking website. Raleigh-Durham International Airport reported more than 200 cancellations. Amtrak also canceled or altered service on a number of trains through Tuesday.

The heaviest snowfalls were in the mountains of western North Carolina and Virginia and in rural areas along the state line, while major population centers to the southeast were largely spared.

On Sunday, the streets in many Raleigh neighborhoods were virtually free of people and vehicles, as residents heeded the calls of government officials to stay indoors for the weekend. The area is unaccustomed to such early snowfall, and many people were wary of the storm after days of official warnings.

Roy Cooper, the governor of North Carolina, declared a state of emergency Friday as the storm approached, and even as it began to ebb Sunday, he continued to warn residents not to take unnecessary chances. Cooper said the National Guard had worked overnight to clear traffic crashes on major streets and highways.

“Stay put if you can,” Cooper said.

This article originally appeared in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/09/us/snow-storm-north-carolina-virginia.html" id="66b156bc-99a3-30ae-a79c-26800b112ded">The New York Times</a>.

RALEIGH, N.C. — Doug Jones, the emergency management director in Person County, North Carolina, looked out his office window Sunday evening and marveled at the thick blanket of snow.

Heavy Early Snow Smacks the Southeast, Knocking Out Power and Snarling Travel

The storm system has already struck a broad segment of the South, leaving close to 11 inches of snow in Lubbock, Texas.

On Sunday morning, the National Weather Service said snowfall in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic was likely to continue through Sunday night as part of a “high-impact winter storm.” The Weather Service said the storm would stretch from northeastern Georgia to central Virginia.

“Snowfall amounts in some locations will likely exceed a foot and result in several days of difficult or impossible travel, extended power outages and downed trees,” it said.

Sleet, freezing rain and icy roads were expected across much of the area affected by the storm.

Duke Energy projected that the storm would result in about 500,000 power failures in North and South Carolina. In some cases, it said, the loss of electricity would last for several days.

On Sunday morning, airlines flying into and out of Charlotte Douglas International Airport had reported more than 1,100 cancellations, according to FlightAware, a flight-tracking website. Raleigh-Durham International Airport was reporting more than 200 cancellations.

Amtrak also canceled or altered service on a number of trains through Tuesday.

Emergency responders were in a state of readiness and urging residents to stay home.

Gov. Ralph Northam of Virginia declared a state of emergency Saturday. “Virginians should take all necessary precautions to ensure they are prepared for winter weather storm impacts,” he said.

In Lubbock, authorities warned that some of the 10.5 inches of snow that fell in parts of the city would melt and then refreeze. The city reported more than 60 crashes Saturday night.

A winter storm that is expected to deliver heavy snow to North Carolina and Virginia on Sunday could knock out power to 500,000 customers, a major utility warned.

More Than 1,300 Flights Canceled as Winter Storm Bears Down on Southeast

Hundreds of traffic accidents were reported on slick roads across the region, including an incident in Matthews, North Carolina, in which a falling tree struck a vehicle, causing it to careen into a church and killing the driver, according to local police.

Travel disruptions were widespread. More than 1,100 flights to or from Charlotte Douglas International Airport, a busy hub, had been canceled by Sunday morning because of the storm, according to FlightAware, a flight-tracking website. Raleigh-Durham International Airport reported more than 200 cancellations. Amtrak also canceled or altered service on a number of trains through Tuesday.

On Sunday, the streets in many Raleigh neighborhoods were virtually free of people and vehicles, as residents heeded the calls of government officials to stay indoors for the weekend. The area is unaccustomed to such early snowfall, and many people were wary of the storm after days of official warnings about potential dangers.

Roy Cooper, the governor of North Carolina, declared a state of emergency Friday as the storm approached, and even as the storm began to ebb Sunday, he continued to warn residents not to take unnecessary chances. Cooper said the National Guard had worked overnight to clear traffic accidents on major streets and highways, and noted that a tractor-trailer had slid off a road and into a river.

Most major thoroughfares had been plowed by Sunday afternoon, but secondary streets would probably not be clear until sometime Monday, officials said.

“Stay put if you can,” Cooper said. “Wrap a few presents, decorate the tree, watch some football.”

Heeding that last bit of advice may not have been the perfect cure for the cold-weather blues: the Carolina Panthers lost to the Cleveland Browns, 26-20, on Sunday afternoon, with their record slipping to 6-7.

But judging by the empty streets and light traffic, people seemed to be heeding Cooper’s suggestions. Some Raleigh stores shut their doors for the day, even though it was a crucial pre-Christmas shopping weekend.

“It’s pretty, all right, but I don’t want to get out in it too much and get my feet wet,” said Ginger Slidell, 25, looking out the door of her house.

At a shopping center in Raleigh, Frank DeFiliipo, 53, waited outside in his truck with the heat running as his wife did some holiday shopping for their grandchildren. “I’ll let her do the heavy lifting today and keep myself warm,” he said.

The snow turned to sleet and then rain in the afternoon, melting much of what had fallen before and causing flooding on some city streets.

Motorists unused to driving on slippery streets were involved in hundreds of accidents around central North Carolina as vehicles slid off roadways, including Interstate 95, where cars with crumpled bumpers and cracked glass were left abandoned on the side of the highway. Some streets were blocked by fallen trees and downed power lines.

The dangerous conditions led local governments, including in Wake County, which includes Raleigh, to cancel public school classes on Monday. Duke University also called off classes for the day. Some portions of the county got as much as 14 inches of snow over the weekend, though Raleigh got much less.

The National Weather Service said some additional snowfall in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic was likely through Sunday night as part of a “high-impact winter storm” stretching from northeastern Georgia to central Virginia.

“We expect 1 to 2 inches of snow after 7 p.m. across Virginia and North Carolina,” said Bryan Jackson, a spokesman for the Weather Service. Earlier in the day, he said, there were periods when snow was falling at a rate of 2 inches an hour.

“Snowfall amounts in some locations will likely exceed a foot and result in several days of difficult or impossible travel, extended power outages and downed trees,” the agency said.

The storm was expected to move east into the Atlantic on Monday.

The mountains of North Carolina had already gotten 12 to 18 inches of snow by Sunday afternoon, and the Piedmont area of the state was likely to get the same amount by the time the storm passed, according to the Weather Service, with sleet, freezing rain and icy roads across much of the area affected by the storm.

The governor of Virginia, Ralph Northam, declared a state of emergency Saturday. “Virginians should take all necessary precautions to ensure they are prepared for winter weather storm impacts,” he said.

On its way to North Carolina the storm had barreled across much of the South, and left a trail of sloppy conditions all the way back to Lubbock, Texas.

Authorities there warned Sunday that some of the 10.5 inches of snow that had fallen in parts of the city would melt during the day and then refreeze at night, making roads dangerous again. The city reported more than 60 crashes Saturday night.

Even so, there were indications Sunday that disaster had largely been averted in Lubbock, which averages about 9 inches of snow a year.

“They were out there working on the streets and plowing and all that,” said Jessica Alexander, an employee at the Buddy Holly Center in the city. “Today it was melting away pretty good.”

By Sunday morning, the storm system had struck a broad segment of the South, leaving close to 11 inches of snow in Lubbock, Texas.

The National Weather Service said snowfall in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic was likely to continue through Sunday night as part of a “high-impact winter storm.”

“We expect 1 to 2 inches of snow after 7 p.m. across Virginia and North Carolina,” said Bryan Jackson, a spokesman for the Weather Service. “Until then, there are rates of 2 inches of snow per hour and sleet and freezing rain,” he added.

The service said the storm would stretch from northeastern Georgia to central Virginia.

The mountains in North Carolina have gotten 12 to 18 inches of snow. The Piedmont area is likely to get the same amount by the time the storm passes, according to the Weather Service.

Duke Energy has yet to send out employees to survey the damage.

“It is still a fluid storm,” said Candice Knezevic, a spokeswoman for the utility. “As soon as it is safe for our crews to get out there, we will send them,” she added.

Duke Energy projected that in some cases, the loss of electricity would last for several days.

A winter storm has knocked out power to over 200,000 customers in North and South Carolina, according to a major utility in the region, forcing people who were left without electricity and heat to stay in hotels and shelters.

The storm system has struck a broad segment of the South, leaving close to 11 inches of snow in Lubbock, Texas.

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https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/09/us/snow-storm-north-carolina-virginia.html

Articles written by the author

Heavy Early Snow Smacks the Southeast, Knocking Out Power and Snarling Travel

More Than 1,300 Flights Canceled as Winter Storm Bears Down on Southeast

Heavy Early Snow Smacks the Southeast, Knocking Out Power and Snarling Travel

More Than 1,300 Flights Canceled as Winter Storm Bears Down on Southeast

More Than 1,300 Flights Canceled as Winter Storm Bears Down on Southeast

More Than 1,300 Flights Canceled as Winter Storm Bears Down on Southeast

More Than 1,300 Flights Canceled as Winter Storm Bears Down on Southeast