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(Reuters) – A winter storm caused Saturday snowfall and freezing rain in South and North Carolina, creating dangerous conditions on the roads and threatening to leave hundreds of thousands of people without electricity, announced officials.
Snowfall began Saturday night and was expected to last until early Monday in some areas. Forecast of up to 46 cm (18 inches) is forecast for Mount Mitchell in North Carolina, the National Weather Service announced.
The governor of North Carolina, Roy Cooper, who declared the state of emergency on Friday, asked residents to finish storing food and avoiding unnecessary trips.
"This weekend is not the time to go see the wonderland of winter. Stay safe where you are, "Cooper said in a statement.
The effects of the storm, including power outages, could last several days in North Carolina, with the mountainous west-east region particularly affected by snow, officials said.
About 500,000 electricity consumers could lose electricity in North Carolina and South Carolina, a spokeswoman for Duke Energy said on Twitter.
Saturday night, the storm had dumped 13 cm of snow on Hendersonville, a North Carolina town about 160 km west of Charlotte, said the weather by meteorologist Zack Taylor of the Federal Center weather forecast.
Charlotte, the most populous city in North Carolina, should also receive 13 cm of snow before the end of the storm.
Snow forecasts for the southern Virginia region begin early Sunday morning, including up to 15 inches in the Lynchburg area.
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam declared Saturday the State 's emergency, preventing power outages and transportation issues.
The storm could hit airports, including Asheville and Raleigh-Durham International in North Carolina, Lynchburg and Roanoke in Virginia, and Greenville-Spartanburg International in South Carolina. American Airlines has announced that it will remove change fees for people booked through Charlotte Douglas International, a major regional hub in North Carolina.
A mix of snow and slush fell in the northern region of the state of South Carolina on Saturday night, Taylor said.
South Carolina's Emergency Management Division warned motorists to drive cautiously on bridges, viaducts, and isolated roadways, as they could freeze quickly.
Freezing precipitation has also threatened to cover ice roads in the mountains of northeastern Georgia, officials said.
The storm formed earlier this week off the Texas coast and moved east, striking parts of Arkansas and Tennessee under a storm. Freezing Rain.
Report by Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles, additional report by Jonathan Allen in New York; Edition of Daniel Wallis and Richard Chang
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