Vehicles pass a stranded Jaguar in the median of U.S. 1 in Raleigh, N.C., on Monday, Dec. 10, 2018. Gentle snow turned to sleet, then rain Monday, and was expected to freeze overnight. (Associated Press)
The snowstorm that pummeled southern states during the weekend has been blamed for at least three deaths in North Carolina and leaving nearly 70,000 in the dark, as residents prepare to face dangerous roads and plunging temperatures on Tuesday.
North Carolina faced numerous car crashes, power outages and canceled flights, as more than 20 inches fell in western parts of the state. Nearly 70,000 were without power as of early Tuesday morning, including outages in North Carolina, Virginia, South Carolina and Tennessee, according to AccuWeather.com.
Due to the icy roads hazard, schools in Virginia and North Carolina remained closed for a second day, while Georgia announced a late start for state government workers.
"We need to stay vigilant. We're not out of the woods yet," North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said Monday. "This storm dropped staggering amounts of snow, ice and rain across our state. A year's worth of snowfall or more fell in some places in little more than a day."
The Highway Patrol responded to more than 670 collisions and nearly 1,600 calls for services since the storm began.
Brett Anderson, AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist also warned of black ice on the roads.
"Melting that occurs during the day will lead to wet streets and sidewalks," Anderson said. "Where this water does not dry off or is not treated with ice-melting compounds, a thin sheet of ice, known as black ice, is likely to form," Anderson said.
In Charlotte, police shut down a street Monday after reports of ice falling from the Duke Energy Center. And an overturned truck full of pigs added to traffic delays in the western part of that state.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.