Freezing Rain and Snow Hit Part of South : Highways Dangerous; Clear Skies, Sub-Zero Temperature in North

Snow fell from central Arkansas to the southern Appalachians today and freezing rain sheathed parts of Alabama, Georgia and the Carolinas, while clear skies and sub-zero temperatures were the norm in the North.

Travelers were warned about freezing rain in the Deep South and snow in the mountains of North Carolina, southwestern Virginia, southern West Virginia, southeastern Kentucky, northern Georgia and all of Tennessee.

Almost four inches of snow fell in north-central Tennessee. Around two inches of snow fell in South Carolina’s Oconee Mountains, with one to two inches of freezing precipitation in Georgia’s northeast mountains.

Two Highway Deaths

Sleet, freezing drizzle and snow flurries also iced highways today across extreme northern Mississippi, where icy roads were blamed for two traffic deaths.

In West Virginia, most roads were cleared at lower elevations in Preston County, where thousands of rural residents had been snowbound for more than a week by high drifts.

About 100 roads were still blocked by snow, but “most of the roads that are closed have only two or three houses on them,” said Jim Beer, Highway Department maintenance supervisor.

National Weather Service observer Charles Trembly of Terra Alta, W.Va., said 50 inches of snow had fallen in Preston County since last week, for a total of 114 inches this season.

Western Mountains Covered

Snow also was reported over the southern Plains and parts of the Great Lakes.

Snow also fell over the mountains of the West, with three to six inches of snow expected around the Lake Tahoe basin. Snow showers, icy roads and fog hampered travel in the central mountains and northeastern Arizona and in northern and west central New Mexico. Travelers’ warnings were issued for Oregon’s north and central coast.