72 MILLION are put under a winter storm warning: Three dead as Northeast is buried in blizzards and thousands are left without power in the South while California braces for conditions ‘not seen for a decade’ in coast-to-coast wall of snow

 

72 MILLION are put under a winter storm warning: Three dead as Northeast is buried in blizzards and thousands are left without power in the South while California braces for conditions ‘not seen for a decade’ in coast-to-coast wall of snow

• A winter storm from Alabama to New York City has left three people dead and threatens to dump a foot of snow in some areas
• North Carolina cities Burlington, Greensboro and Roxboro has received eight inches or more of snow
• Several inches fell in southeast Virginia, where a blizzard warning was issued for the cities along the coast
• New York City is expected to see between three and five inches of snow, while forecasters predict as much as eight inches in Long Island 
• Connecticut authorities shut down Interstate 91 in both directions after a 25-car pileup clogged traffic in Middletown  
• Power outages have grown to 25,000 in North Carolina, according to a news release from the governor 
• Many airlines have cancelled flights through Saturday and South Carolina officials have asked drivers to stay home due to the hazardous road conditions 
• Meanwhile in California up to 12 inches of rain is expected over the weekend in lower-lying areas
• The combination of heavy rain and melting snow could trigger the worst flooding the state has seen in at least 20 years 

By Associated Press and Ariel Zilber For Dailymail.com

Police said the crash near exit 21 involved at least 20 cars, three tractor trailers and a tanker. No serious injuries were reported.

The mayor of Middletown said that fuel tanks from at least two of the trucks ruptured, spilling diesel fuel onto the highway.

State workers were at the scene trying to clean up the spill, the mayor said.

NBC Connecticut is updating a list of local institutions that have closed due to the weather.

Hundreds of flights were canceled, according to NBC, more than 50 flights were canceled at New York JFK and Newark airports early Saturday. Delta canceled 175 flights, most of which were into and out of its hub in Atlanta.

Police investigated several fatal crashes as potentially storm-related, but some of the South’s biggest cities — Atlanta, Charlotte and Raleigh — appeared to avoid the worst of the storm.

Authorities praised residents for learning the lessons of past storms that resulted in icy gridlock, where thousands of people were stranded along the interstates. But officials warned that bitter cold would keep roads treacherous well after the snow and sleet stopped.

‘If I tell you anything it would be stay home,’ North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said. ‘Do not go out and drive on the roads unless you absolutely have to.’

Cooper was supposed to have been sworn in Saturday at an outdoor ceremony attended by thousands.

He instead rushed through a 20-minute indoor oath-taking Friday.

‘Consider yourselves the chosen few,’ Cooper jokingly told family, friends and well-wishers able to attend his swearing-in Friday.

North Carolina cities Burlington, Greensboro and Roxboro received eight inches or more of snow, and several inches fell in southeast Virginia, where a blizzard warning was issued for the cities along the coast.

North Carolina reported more than 250 crashes, while Virginia had more than 100.

In Charlotte alone, 35 accidents were reported since 10pm on Friday, according to NBC News.

Hundreds of crashes were reported in Tennessee starting Friday.

Some of these were fender benders involving school buses driving along roads that were covered by up to two inches of snow.

 

Power outages had grown to about 25,000 in North Carolina alone, according to a news release from the governor. Nearly half were in the Charlotte area and adjacent Union County, according to Duke Power.

In Cornelius, north of Charlotte, Matt Thomas said he used a ruler to measure nearly six inches of snow and sleet that had piled up on the back of his pickup truck. He planned to spend the weekend enjoying the snow and watching television. A plow passed through his neighborhood, but the road still looked slippery.

‘The sleet started first, so there’s definitely a layer of ice under the snow,’ he said by phone. ‘I’m staying home.’

The unpredictable storm left some areas with much different outcomes than neighboring counties. Unofficial totals from the National Weather Service showed that much of Raleigh and Charlotte had two inches or less of precipitation — much of it sleet — while areas to the north of both cities got several inches of snow.

In Atlanta and parts of Georgia, people who were expecting a couple of inches of snow instead woke up to a thin coat of ice. Still, it didn’t stop children from sliding down slick grassy hills in what is a once- or twice-a-year icy occurrence.

 

Some took to social media to complain that they didn’t have anything to sled in, prompting an apologetic Tweet from one well-known Raleigh weatherman.

‘To all my detractors, more than 24 hours ago I began talking about how this snow event could go up in smoke. I try to be honest-all I can do,’ WRAL-TV chief meteorologist Greg Fishel said early Saturday.

A blizzard warning for southeast Virginia accompanied forecasts of high winds and up to nine inches of snow there. The National Weather Service had already measured nearly six inches of snow at its post in Wakefield on Saturday.

Even with snow coating Virginia Beach roads, diners and staff made it to the popular breakfast spot Citrus.

‘When there’s bad weather, people come out,’ manager Tara Junke said. ‘I’ve worked in restaurants for 20 years in Hampton Roads and we’ve never shut down for snow.’

Chris Turner, 58, a health care analyst sitting at the counter with a mug of tea, said he drove seven miles to his usual breakfast spot, aided by four-wheel drive.

‘It’s fun to enjoy mother nature in all her glory,’ he said. ‘I’d rather be out. I can’t stay at home.’

 

Raleigh-Durham International Airport said its staff worked through the night to clear runways.  

It said most airlines had canceled flights through mid-morning.

Most flights have been canceled at Norfolk’s airport because of the winter storm, the latest disruption to hit airports in the region…..More Here

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