NEWS FROM MORECAST
Historic Snow Storm Buries Much of North Carolina
A traffic-snarling snow storm has raked the southeastern USA with near-blizzard conditions along with plummeting temperatures and wind chills below zero. More than a foot of snow has accumulated in some areas, leading to widespread road closures. It’s a crippling event for a region unaccustomed to extreme snows and temperatures.
By far the heaviest snows have fallen across eastern Tennessee and North Carolina. Areas near the Blue Ridge Mountains saw accumulations of 6-12 inches (15-30 cm). Another heavy band dropped accumulations of 10-16 inches (25-40 cm) from the Charlotte metro area up to Greensboro, NC. The near-whiteout conditions led to 100-vehicle pile-up just north of Charlotte (see video above). After several hours the stranded motorists required rescue by the National Guard. A semi-truck became stuck in the snow at a railroad crossing and was slammed by a freight train, though fortunately there were no resulting injuries.
The heaviest snows fell over southeastern North Carolina as the storm exploded just offshore. Totals of 12-19 inches (30-48 cm) were common in this region, the first time the region has seen over a foot of accumulation since 1989. Northerly winds gusting over 50 mph (80 kph) created dangerous blizzard conditions with drifting snow shutting down many roadways. Several communities reported power outages due to the snow and wind, a life-threatening situation given the historic cold temperatures. Hurricane-like storm surge and waves destroyed some beachfront homes on the Outer Banks (see video above). Lead photo courtesy Gail Crouch.
