REPORTS: Snowstorm dumps over a foot of snow from North Carolina to Massachusetts
As of 3:15 a.m. EST Sunday, this reports story will no longer be updated.
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A winter storm brought heavy snow and ice that disrupted travel across the Northeast after lashing the southeastern U.S this weekend.
Travel became impossible in parts of the Northeast and Southeast on Friday and Saturday.
Through Sunday, a wave of arctic air will arrive and cause remaining snowy or slushy areas to freeze. Removal of snow and ice will be difficult after this occurs, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.
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Snow has reportedly reached between 12-18 inches across southeastern Massachusetts. Seven to 8 inches have been measured in the Boston area.
Snow will slowly exit the New England coast early Sunday morning.
<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">[1145p] Latest radar snap shot showing those snow bands; can easily get 1"/hr snowfall rates w/ these bands, additional accums, low vsby <a href="https://t.co/9ifdpFkLD1">pic.twitter.com/9ifdpFkLD1</a></p>— NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSBoston/status/817954583305719809">January 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The snowstorm has wreaked havoc on roads near Durham, North Carolina. Public Works crews are reporting that the roads are frozen and plows are unable to break the ice. The crews are now treating the roads with salt and sand for traction.
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Snowfall totals across the eastern U.S. on Saturday reached the double digits in inches. The three highest snow accumulations reported were 14. 7 inches Pilot Mountain, North Carolina; 13 inches in Ocean View, Delaware; and 12.5 inches in Williamsburg, Virginia.
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Interstate 91 is now open following a multi-vehicle crash, according to Connecticut State Police. Heavy delays are expected and drivers are advised to reduce their speeds.
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More flights were canceled and delayed at airports in the northeastern U.S. on Saturday as the snowstorm moved up the coastline. As of 6:50 p.m. EST, according to Flightaware, the number of flight delays and cancellations are:
At Boston Logan International Airport, 30 flights were delayed and 119 were canceled.
At Laguardia Airport, 42 flights were delayed and 99 were canceled.
At John F. Kennedy International Airport, 110 flights were delayed and 93 were canceled.
At Newark Liberty International Airport, 88 flights were delayed and 104 were canceled.
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The snowstorm has impacted a popular intrastate basketball rivalry in North Carolina. The North Carolina State Wolfpack was scheduled to play the North Carolina Tar Heels Saturday night at 8 p.m. in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The game has been postponed to 1 p.m. Sunday, and will be broadcast on ESPN.
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Snow has dropped visibility down to a quarter-mile at New York City’s Central Park since 1:30 p.m. EST. Snow totals as of 3 p.m. EST Saturday: 3.5 inches in Bayport, New York; 2.5 inches in Rego Park (Queens), New York; 7 inches in South Chatham, Massachusetts; and 9.6 inches in Selbyville, Delaware. There is also 4.4 inches at Elizabeth, New Jersey, with almost 2 inches in the last hour.
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Interstate 91 south in Middletown, Connecticut, is closed after a multi-car pileup, according to state police. Police said at least 20 cars, three tractor trailers and a tanker were involved in the crash near exit 21 in Middletown. No serious injuries have been reported.
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Snow covers Brooklyn on Saturday afternoon as the snowstorm continues to move up the coast. (Twitter/@legionare_jean)
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Reports of as much as 2 inches of snow have fallen in the Philadelphia region, as of 1:30 p.m. EST.
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Visibility decreases as snow blankets the Boston region (Twitter/@PatrickMcMahon5)
Hundreds of flights have been canceled or delayed across much of the East Coast, according to FlightAware.com.
The Federal Aviation Administration says delays are widespread at several major airports in the region. At John F. Kennedy International Airport, departures may last as long as six and a half hours.
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As much as 10 inches of snow have been reported in parts of Virginia as of 10:45 a.m. EST. Roadways are slick and covered in snow as crews work to clear the area.
Snow coats the roadways across much of Virginia as the storm moves up the coast. (Twitter/Virginia State Police)
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As of Saturday morning, road conditions across parts of Alabama and Mississippi have become dangerous and motorists are urged to avoid any unnecessary travel.
<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Traffic map from ALDOT says it all: roads are very icy and travel extremely difficult in the Birmingham area. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/alwx?src=hash">#alwx</a> <a href="https://t.co/lyDiahXUzL">pic.twitter.com/lyDiahXUzL</a></p>— NWS Birmingham (@NWSBirmingham) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSBirmingham/status/817740635176214528">January 7, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Snowfall totals as of 7:00 a.m. EST Saturday:
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Snow is being reported in the Washington, D.C., metro area as of 4:00 a.m. EST. Roadway conditions are quickly deteriorating across northern Virginia as the snow advances northward. Snow will continue to expand along the coastal Northeast throughout Saturday.
As of early Saturday morning, almost all major roadways in Virginia are snow-covered and slippery as indicated by the blue and purple shadings on the map. (Image/Virginia Department of Transportation)
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Freezing rain continues to encase parts of North Carolina as the storm moves up the coast. Tree and power line damage will become more likely as the morning continues.
<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">225 am... Freezing rain beginning to develop on elevated surfaces in west Raleigh at the <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSRaleigh">@NWSRaleigh</a> office. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ncwx?src=hash">#ncwx</a> <a href="https://t.co/phGwPSMDc8">pic.twitter.com/phGwPSMDc8</a></p>— NWS Raleigh (@NWSRaleigh) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSRaleigh/status/817635364366073856">January 7, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Over 5,000 Georgia Power customers are without power around the Atlanta metro region as of 2:00 a.m. EST on Saturday. Around 0.15 to 0.20 of an inch of ice has accumulated in and around the city since Friday evening, knocking down numerous trees and power lines.
Snow and ice will gradually wind down across northern Georgia early Saturday morning.
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By 11:30 p.m., the worst of the ice and snow is departing Alabama. Slick roads will remain a problem overnight as temperatures plummet.
Snow will continue to ramp up across the Carolinas and Virginia as the night continues. Three to five inches of snow have already piled up in western North Carolina since Friday afternoon.
<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="et" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/rzweather">@rzweather</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/spann">@spann</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSMobile">@NWSMobile</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ThomasGeboyWX">@ThomasGeboyWX</a> Thomasville, Al. <a href="https://t.co/9YxmNMLo3x">pic.twitter.com/9YxmNMLo3x</a></p>— Paul Stokes (@BamaBleau) <a href="https://twitter.com/BamaBleau/status/817574923078139905">January 7, 2017</a></blockquote>
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As of 9 p.m. EST, wintry precipitation was starting to taper off in Mississippi, but roads were still in poor condition. The Mississippi Department of Transportation has reported that there is ice on roads and bridges in more than half of the counties across the state.
Major highways around Birmingham and Tuscaloosa, Alabama are covered with snow, especially north of the cities. This includes portions of I-65.
What started as a mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain is beginning to switch over to mainly snow across northern Georgia; however, the Atlanta International Airport continues to experience freezing rain. The airport has been reporting freezing rain since 6 p.m. EST with temperatures holding right at 32 F.
Interstate 65 north of Birmingham, Alabama is covered with snow. (Photo/Alabama Law Enforcement)
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Road conditions continue to deteriorate across parts of Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia with snow, sleet and freezing rain contributing to numerous vehicle accidents across the region.
Nearly an inch of sleet was measured near Jackson, Mississippi by the National Weather Service, slowing travel along I-20.
Law enforcement officials are requesting that Alabama residents remain off the roadways in Pickens, Randolph, Autauga, Elmore, Talladega and Cleburne Counties through Friday night.
A truck blocking I-55 northbound near Wesson, Mississippi. (Photo/ MHP Jackson)
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As of 5 p.m. EST, an area of snow, sleet and freezing rain reached from central Louisiana to central Alabama.
This wintry precipitation was leading to icy conditions across the region, glazing many elevated surfaces with ice as well as some roads and bridges. Significant icing was occurring on trees and power lines across Wayne County, Mississippi, late on Friday afternoon, emergency managers said.
All roads in Elmore County, Alabama, will be closed at 6 p.m. EST Friday due to deteriorating road conditions, the county said in a statement.
Those that must travel in these areas should use extreme caution and allow for extra time to reach their destination amid the icy conditions.
(Photo/Twitter user @sshawn9195)
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As of 1 p.m EST, Delta has announced that about 350 flights between Friday and Saturday have been canceled at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
Alabama, Georgia and North Carolina all issued state of emergency declarations that went into effect Friday. Road crews were deployed well ahead of the looming storm to begin treating the roads.
State officials are urging residents to avoid travel unless absolutely necessary.
"We cannot stress enough the importance of staying off the road this weekend,” said North Carolina Public Safety Secretary Erik A. Hooks. “The snow may be fun to play in, but it will be dangerous to drive in. Don’t put yourself, your family or our emergency responders' lives at risk.”
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