Deadly Winter Barrels into the Carolinas and brings icy roads

A rare storm hit the southeastern Carolinas Wednesday morning, threatening up to six inches of snow in coastal communities as winds left the Gulf Coast and other parts of the region. cool for cold and dangerous roads.

The deadly storm, which killed at least 10 people, was driven by cold air swirling in from the Arctic. It is expected to leave much of the south in the low or single digits through Wednesday night.

In North Carolina, Gov. Josh Stein warned residents in the eastern part of the state to avoid all road travel because they are “the most dangerous places for a winter storm like this.” “.

In Charleston, SC, at least 15 snow plows prepared to hit the streets and clear them.

And along the Georgia-Florida border, the potential for snow accumulation — up to a quarter of an inch — made road conditions even more threatening.

“Along the Gulf Coast and the Southeast, it’s very cold for what’s considered normal,” said Brian Hurley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. And this heavy snowfall, he added, can freeze and make the road dangerous.

On Tuesday, cities and towns from Houston to New Orleans were covered in snow not seen in decades. At least two people were killed in the explosion in Austin, and one in Atlanta. Five people were killed in a car crash on a busy highway in Zavala County, Texas.

Snowfall also set records in some areas. Mobile, Ala., a coastal city, received more than six inches of snow Tuesday afternoon, breaking a record that dates back to 1895. Across the border, Florida also had a taste of snow and may break. local and state records, as more than eight inches were recorded at the western end of the panhandle in the areas of Milton and Oriole Beach. Meanwhile, Chalmette, La., east of New Orleans, recorded 11.5 inches of snow Tuesday evening.

Victoria Oliva, a meteorologist with the Weather Service in Wilmington, N.C., said conditions will remain hazardous across Eastern North Carolina through late Wednesday night, as expected. -pana in teenagers.

The last time Wilmington had more than four inches of snow was in 2000, Ms. Oliva said, and the last time it got more than six inches was in 1989.

“So this is a rare event for us,” he said.

The fact that there is so much snow in a coastal city that usually enjoys sunny beach days is not good news. The city of Wilmington wrote on its Facebook page: “Spring is 58 days away. Just sharing for no particular reason.”

In eastern South Carolina, a winter storm warning was in effect until noon Wednesday. Charleston, a beach town that has attracted thousands of new residents in recent years to its pristine streets and beaches, is expected to endure the chilly winds Wednesday night.

Forecasters were concerned that accumulated snow in the area could refreeze and cause hazardous conditions through Thursday morning, said Peter Mohlin, a meteorologist at the the Charleston Weather Service.

After the storm moves across the Carolinas on Wednesday afternoon, it is expected to weaken.