A winter storm stretching across the South could bring dangerous conditions for drivers
Much of the Southeast was seeing rain or snow as cold temperatures set in Thursday.
A winter storm that stretches from the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee to parts of Georgia and North Carolina has left more than 12 million people under winter weather advisories, watches or warnings.
Snow was expected to cover Georgia and Tennessee mountain tops, with some areas in higher elevations forecast to receive up to 6 inches, CNN meteorologist Michael Guy said.
“Portions of North Carolina are forecast to get more snow today than Washington or Philadelphia have received all season,” CNN meteorologist Monica Garrett said.
The National Weather Service in Raleigh, North Carolina, tweeted, “The central NC snow drought should end at 437 days today.”
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said the heaviest snows should come after dark, with whiteout conditions expected on the coast. He said power outages and icing should not be major issues, but stressed snowy roads can be deadly and urged caution.
Twenty-nine school districts were closed, with 55 on early release.
Areas of North Carolina, including Asheville and Charlotte, should see 1 to 3 inches of snowfall, while portions of southern Virginia may see up to 4 inches.
“Temperatures will be 10 to 25 degrees below average over the Upper/Middle Mississippi Valley, Southern Plains, and parts of the Northern/Central Rockies into the Southeast,” the National Weather Service said.
“The snowfall should be over by the early hours of Friday morning,” Guy said.
With it, the storm brings dangerous conditions for drivers, with black ice and accumulating snow likely on the roads.
More rain for the South
Parts of the South have been getting drenched for days. Areas around Atlanta recorded up to nearly 3 inches of rain Tuesday. And they’re getting more water Thursday.
Mardi Gras revelers are being cautioned about the weather. NOLA Ready, the New Orleans emergency preparedness campaign, tweeted, “It’s going to be windy on the parade route tonight. Secure those ladders & canopy tents.”
That followed the issuing of a wind advisory in effect from 6 p.m. Thursday to 6 a.m. Friday for much of southern portion of Southeast Louisiana. Gusts up to 35 mph are likely, the National Weather Service New Orleans tweeted.
Up to 2 more inches of rain could pour over the Lower Mississippi Valley and Southeast Thursday, prompting forecasters to issue a “marginal risk of excessive rainfall” alert in the area, the weather service said.
“The marginal risk means isolated flash flooding is possible,” the weather service said.
The Pearl River in Jackson, Mississippi, crested Monday at its third-highest level on record, 36.67 feet, covering roads and damaging homes.
The level went down somewhat, then rose again overnight Wednesday into Thursday. It is forecast to slowly recede over the weekend.
More than 4 million were under a flash flood watch from central Mississippi through central Georgia early Thursday.
And moving east, coastal regions will also see powerful winds with gusts topping at 40 mph, Guy said.
Beyond the region, a storm system will push into the Southwest bringing rain and mountain snow, possibly becoming a factor for voters in Nevada in Saturday’s Democratic primary.
The rain could be heavy at times on Saturday, particularly across the southern portion of the state, including Las Vegas.
Snow will fall above 6,000 feet with more than 8 inches of accumulation on the higher peaks.
