Ice Storm Disaster; Lightning Cranks Up Blizzard
UPDATE: 5 p.m.: Three states have joined the 2-foot club, with a fourth very close:
Hereford, MD: 26.6"
Pilot, VA: 28.5"
Cherry Grove, WV: 24.0"
Oakland, PA: 23.0"
Boones Hill, NC: 21.0"
Newfound Gap, TN: 16.0"
Mouthcard, KY: 12.0"
UPDATE: 2 p.m.: Crucial info, folks! The snow is NOT over in the Northeast. (It has stopped snowing in the major cities.) A second round is coming to the I-95 corridor this evening. Evan explains more in this video. Top snow amounts update:
Hereford, Md.: 26.6"
Christianburg, Va.: 23.0"
Harman, W.Va.: 21.0"
Statesville, N.C.: 18.0"
Uwchlan Twp, Pa.: 16.3"
Newfound Gap, Tenn.: 16.0"
Mouthcard, Ky.: 12.0"
Please follow my Facebook WeatherMatrix page or my Accu_Jesse Twitter account for additional breaking information, and stay tuned to AccuWeather.com on Facebook for further official updates on the storm.
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10 a.m. 2/12: The storm continues to strengthen and slam the East Coast with heavy snow. Below are the highest reports by state that I've seen so far (I ruled out about 10 NWS reports of extreme sleet which were erroneous):
Irmo, SC: 4.0"
Forest Acres: 3.0"
Chapel Hill, NC: 2.5"
Buckingham, VA: 2.2"
Augusta & Thomson, GA: 2.0"
Portland, AR: 2.0"
Barnwell, SC: 1.25"
Aiken, SC: 1.2"
Augusta, GA: 1.0"
Orangeburg, SC: 1.0"
Tallulah, LA: 1.0"
Wrightsboro, NC: 0.56"
Riner, VA: 17.9"
Harman, WV: 17.0"
Newfound Gap, TN: 16.0"
Mouthcard, KY: 12.0"
Fairview, NC: 13.0"
7 p.m. 2/12: Here's a comparison between the Blizzard of 1993 radar versus tonight's radar. The placement of the squall lines are similar, but this one's weaker overall.
2 p.m. 2/12: About a quarter of a million are now without power; see our Live Blog for continued updates. Sleet amounts up to 4 inches have been reported!
An aside: Over 41,000 lightning strikes have hit the ground in and around the Gulf of Mexico today, as the powerful storm system gets cranked up. This is something you'll see with any "classic" nor'easter (Blizzard of 1993 comes to mind). Click here for our latest snowfall map, projecting 12-18 inches from North Carolina through Maine.
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