Snowed-in South makes the best of day off
DURHAM, N.C. — Snowed-in Southerners made the best of a day without work or school Monday while officials warned that roads remained treacherous even as the worst of a wintry storm departed.
Snow, sleet and freezing rain tapered off across states from Georgia to West Virginia that were recovering from outages, canceled flights and numerous car wrecks. But officials cautioned that Tuesday’s commute could be treacherous as plunging temperatures turn melted snow into ice on roads. The storm was blamed for at least three deaths in North Carolina.
Schools canceled class Monday, and many businesses and government offices were closed.
For those staying home, the storm provided a chance to sled, drink hot chocolate or simply take in a wintry landscape in places that don’t often see much of the white stuff.
In North Carolina’s Durham County, where a foot fell in places Sunday, kids reveled in a day off from school as a second dusting of snow and sleet fell Monday morning.
Andrew Dedman, 16, was walking about a mile through a flurry to visit a friend on their day off from high school.
“We’re just going to hang out, sit around, drink hot chocolate,” he said.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation said a livestock truck carrying pigs overturned on Interstate 40. The westbound lanes were closed temporarily Monday so the pigs could be corralled, but at least one lane was reopened by midafternoon.
Snowfall totals topped 20 inches in some areas of the western part of the state, according to the National Weather Service. Flight cancellations and delays continued Monday at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
