Carolinas battered by blizzard conditions, thousands still without power

A powerful “bomb cyclone” delivered blizzardlike conditions to the Carolinas on Saturday, dumping roughly a foot or more of snow across parts of the region and ushering frigid temperatures across much of the East Coast.

Charlotte, North Carolina, experienced one of its heaviest snowfalls in years, as approximately 240 million people remained under cold weather advisories and winter storm warnings, according to Bob Oravec, lead meteorologist for the National Weather Service (NWS) in College Park, Maryland.

More than 197,000 customers remained without electricity, primarily in Mississippi and Tennessee, following a separate ice storm that struck last week.

Why It Matters

The winter storm represents an unprecedented weather event for regions unaccustomed to significant snowfall, particularly in areas like Myrtle Beach, South Carolina—whose official seal features the sun, palm trees and a seagull.

The extreme weather has already contributed to over 100 deaths from Texas to New Jersey, roughly half occurring in Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana, with causes ranging from hypothermia to suspected carbon monoxide exposure.

The prolonged power outages in Tennessee and Mississippi, now extending into a second week for some residents, highlight infrastructure vulnerabilities during extreme weather events. Nashville Electric Service estimated that while 90 percent of the approximately 48,000 affected customers would have power restored by Tuesday, some may wait until next weekend.

What To Know

The North Carolina State Highway Patrol reported at least 750 traffic collisions throughout the day, though no fatalities were recorded. An hourslong backup on Interstate 85 northeast of Charlotte involved dozens of semis and other vehicles after a noninjury crash.

Temperatures were expected to dip into the teens and single digits late Saturday and overnight, with a low of minus 27 Fahrenheit recorded in West Virginia. The frigid cold was expected to plunge as far south as Florida.

Subfreezing weather and heavy snow were forecast to continue in the Carolinas, Virginia and northeast Georgia through Sunday, with snow possible from Maryland to Maine. Hundreds of flights were canceled or delayed at airports in Atlanta, Charlotte and Raleigh according to FlightAware.

North Carolina officials closed a nearly 13-mile stretch of a main road in the Outer Banks, citing deteriorating conditions, poor visibility and warning of likely “ocean overwash.”

Mississippi officials characterized their state’s ice storm as the worst winter storm since 1994. Approximately 80 warming centers were opened, with National Guard troops delivering supplies by truck and helicopter. Some 48,000 customers in and around Nashville, Tennessee, were still waiting for power to return.

What People Are Saying

NWS Columbia on X: “Heavy snow bands continue to move across the eastern Midlands. Temps are now in the low 20°’s so roads are getting very icy quickly. Here’s I-20 near Bishopville & secondary roads will be worse as temps drop.”

NWS Raleigh on X: “Heavy snow continue to move across the western areas this afternoon, with the worst of the travel conditions through early tonight. Further east, heavy bands are easing west into the I-95 corridor. Expect conditions to rapidly deteriorate along/east of US-1 this evening.”

Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist, said: “As a storm rapidly strengthens into a bomb cyclone, it will bring wind-driven snow and blizzard conditions to parts of the Carolinas this weekend. The storm’s snow is forecast to slip to the east of New York City.

“Travel may be shut down as snow clogs portions of interstates 26, 40, 64, 75, 77, 81, 85 and 95 from Tennessee to the Atlantic Coast in the Carolinas and southern Virginia.

“It is possible that so much snow may fall in Charlotte to shut down flight operations for a time. Many regional airports in the Carolinas may have to close due to the significant snowstorm.”

What Happens Next

Weather experts continue monitoring the storm system’s progression, with subfreezing conditions expected to persist through the weekend.

Reporting from the Associated Press contributed to this article.