The bomb cyclone that brought blizzardlike conditions to parts of the Carolinas on Saturday also pushed a wave of dangerously cold temperatures across much of the East Coast, compounding problems left by earlier ice storms. In multiple states, officials warned residents to stay off treacherous roads and prepared for renewed risks of hypothermia and frostbite as the cold deepened into the overnight hours.
In Charlotte, North Carolina, the storm delivered one of the city’s heaviest snowfalls in years, with roughly a foot (30 centimeters) or more in parts of the region. Elsewhere across the Carolinas, subfreezing temperatures and heavy snow continued into Sunday, with meteorologists forecasting that even areas unaccustomed to snow would see several inches.
The weather also disrupted transportation. Interstate 85 northeast of Charlotte became a prolonged headache after a noninjury crash left dozens of semis and other vehicles backed up into the evening, according to the State Highway Patrol. The agency said it counted at least 750 traffic collisions and no fatalities.
National Weather Service lead meteorologist Bob Oravec said about 240 million people were under cold weather advisories and winter storm warnings. Oravec also said a low of minus 27 Fahrenheit (minus 33 Celsius) was recorded in West Virginia, and the frigid air was expected to plunge as far south as Florida, with temperatures expected to dip into the teens and single digits late Saturday and overnight.
Air travel faced delays and cancellations as well. FlightAware reported that hundreds of flights were canceled or delayed at airports in Atlanta, Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina.
In North Carolina, Lee Harrison, an insurance agent outside Greenville, planned to keep his family off the roads while the snow fell. “We’re not gonna drive anywhere,” Harrison said. “It’s thick enough that I would not feel comfortable driving with our family.” In Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, snow began accumulating in the evening, and the city expected up to 8 inches (20 centimeters) overnight; Mayor Mark Kruea said the city was working with county and state officials because it had no snow-removal equipment of its own.
While snow blanketed parts of the Southeast, power problems persisted in areas hit by an earlier icy storm. Poweroutage.us reported that more than 197,000 customers were without electricity, mostly in Mississippi and Tennessee. Residents described days without heat and difficulties moving around even for basic tasks.
In Mississippi, Amanda Linton of Holly Springs said her family of five tried to stay busy during the weeklong outage. Linton said roads outside were coated by inches (centimeters) of ice, and that the family’s days turned into routines at home with their dogs, chickens and ducks, while they waited for power to return. “Just lots of games and reading and really just trying to keep mine and my husband’s spirits up so that we’re staying positive for our kids,” Linton said. Linton also said she had managed to buy a generator ahead of the storms.
In Tennessee, Nashville Electric Service estimated that 90% of customers in and around Nashville would have power back by Tuesday, though it said it could take until next weekend for some customers—about two weeks after the ice storm. Gov. Bill Lee said he shared “strong concerns” with leadership of the utility, which had defended its response and said the storm was unprecedented.
Mississippi officials said the winter storm was the state’s worst since 1994. They said about 80 warming centers were opened, and that National Guard troops delivered supplies by truck and helicopter as the cold settled in. In Georgia, 65-year-old Dolla Johnson, who is homeless, slept in a warming center. Johnson said, “If I hadn’t have been here, I would be sleeping outside,” and warned that “There’s nowhere else to go. The bridges are not safe. Everything’s freezing over.”
Officials warned of hypothermia and frostbite risk, as authorities also reported deaths tied to the extreme cold. More than 100 people have died from Texas to New Jersey, roughly half in Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana, with some deaths attributed to hypothermia and others suspected to be related to carbon monoxide exposure; officials said they had not released specific details about some deaths.
As conditions worsened, some places took steps to restrict travel and exposure. In North Carolina’s Outer Banks, officials closed a nearly 13-mile (21-kilometer) stretch of a main road, citing deteriorating conditions and poor visibility. Through social media, the state Department of Transportation warned of likely “ocean overwash” and urged people to stay home.