As One Storm Moves out of the East, Rain and Mountain Snow Move Into Southwest

The Lumber River overflows onto a stretch Interstate 95 in Lumberton, N.C., on Sept. 18, 2018. (Gerry Broome/AP Photo)

A winter storm that piled on snow across parts of the South is finally heading offshore Friday with one last round of freezing temperatures.

“Temperatures will remain below freezing for the Friday morning commute, but will climb above freezing by midday Friday,” the North Carolina Emergency Management said.

Highest temperatures throughout the day will be around 40 degrees—but warmer days will come over the weekend, the agency said.

Parts of North Carolina and Virginia saw some of the heaviest snowfall in the past day with a little more than 4 inches. Areas in Tennessee and North Georgia saw widespread totals of 1 to 3 inches, CNN meteorologist Rob Shackelford said.

On Thursday, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper activated the State Emergency Operations Center to “monitor the situation and to be ready to respond to any needs from county or local governments,” he said in a statement.

But Friday is expected to be dry as all the snow and rain begins to taper off, the National Weather Service said.

Officials in Georgia, Virginia and the Carolinas warned of potential black ice forming on wet roads overnight into Friday morning.

“Be cautious and assume spots that look wet are icy,” the Virginia Department of Transportation said. “Remember—bridges and overpasses freeze first. Slow down, increase your following distance, ditch distractions, and plan your route before hitting the road.”

As temperatures drop back down to freezing Sunday night, officials across the states warned any leftover snow and water will refreeze.

Thursday’s snowfall came after what had been an already wet week.

In South Carolina, forecasters said Thursday rainfall peaked at 1.70 inches at the Charleston International Airport, breaking the earlier daily rainfall record of 1.62 inches set in 1945.

The Pearl River in Jackson, Mississippi, crested Monday at its third-highest level on record, 36.7 feet, covering roads and damaging homes.

The level went down somewhat, then rose again overnight Wednesday into Thursday. It is forecast to slowly recede over the weekend.

Rain in the Southwest for the Weekend

But as things get easier in the East, rain and mountain snow is in the cards for the Southwest, the weather service said.

Parts of the region will see widespread showers and even a few thunderstorms, it said.

“Precipitation is welcomed in parched areas of the Four Corners region but some localized totals in excess of an inch could lead to flash flooding concerns in south-central Arizona,” the weather service said.

The rain could be heavy at times on Saturday, particularly across the southern portion of the state, including Las Vegas.

The conditions could possibly become a factor for voters in Nevada in Saturday’s Democratic primary.

Snow will fall above 6,000 feet with more than 8 inches of accumulation on the higher peaks.

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