The governors of two mid-Atlantic states have declared states of emergency as a winter storm threatens to produce very icy conditions across the region.
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“I am declaring a state of emergency today to aid in the response to the impending winter weather and to provide additional resources to address potentially high snow accumulations, transportation issues and the potential for power outages,” Gov. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia said in his announcement Thursday. “I urge all Virginians to monitor their local weather forecasts and take personal safety precautions to ensure their safety and the safety of their families.”
Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina said in his declaration Wednesday, “This state of emergency will waive some transportation regulations to allow for quicker storm preparation and response and power restoration.”
Setup, amounts and timing
Freezing rain and snow will make travel risky enough that truckers may have to avoid the mid-Atlantic not only Friday but all weekend. Even after the storm fades early Saturday, temperatures will remain quite cold, especially at night, keeping roads iced over.
A low-pressure system will move along a cold front that has pushed just off the East Coast. Moisture feeding off the Atlantic will hit cold air spreading across the region, producing sleet, freezing rain and snow Friday through Friday night.
The National Weather Service issued an ice storm warning Thursday stretching from Newbern and Jacksonville, North Carolina, to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, as well as areas just inland of these locations. This warning remains in place through Saturday morning.
Ice accumulation will range from one-quarter to one-half of an inch, which could easily weigh down electrical lines and tree limbs. Scattered to widespread power outages are possible, in addition to road closures.
The NWS posted a winter storm warning Thursday for the rest of eastern North Carolina, as well as southeastern Virginia and the southern Delmarva Peninsula. This includes portions of North Carolina’s Outer Banks. Places in the warning could see freezing rain, plus sleet and snow accumulations of 3 to 6 inches.
Look for lower ice and snow amounts from Columbia, South Carolina, to the state’s coastal communities, as well as central parts of North Carolina, including Raleigh-Durham. This doesn’t mean road conditions won’t be a bit treacherous, and the NWS has winter weather advisories across these areas.
Other areas of winter weather
The southern end of the cold front moving off the East Coast is draped across the Gulf Coast. Freezing rain could impact drivers in far southern Texas, where a winter storm warning remains in effect until noon CT Friday. Ice accumulations of at least one-tenth of an inch, along with wind chills in the 20s, are likely in Brownsville, Harlingen and spots just to the north.
Light freezing rain Friday morning could also hit from far eastern Texas to western Florida, making sections of Interstate 10 very slick.
Major lanes of concern
• Interstate 10 from Beaumont, Texas, to Crestview, Florida.
• Interstate 26 in South Carolina from Columbia to Charleston.
• Interstate 40 in North Carolina from Raleigh-Durham to Wilmington.
• Interstate 64 in Virginia from Williamsburg to Norfolk.
• Interstate 69C in Texas from McAllen to Falfurrias.
• Interstate 69E in Texas from Brownsville to Sarita.
• Interstate 77 from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Columbia.
• Interstate 85 from Charlotte to the North Carolina-Virginia border.
• Interstate 95 from just north of Savannah, Georgia, to just south of Petersburg, Virginia.
• U.S. Highway 17 from just north of Savannah to Portsmouth, Virginia.
Click here for more FreightWaves articles by Nick Austin.
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