Snow Pounds Parts of East Coast, Spares Several Big Cities

Snow Pounds Parts of East Coast, Spares Several Big Cities
People walk in the snow in Newark, N.J. on Jan. 7, 2017. AP Photo/Mel Evans
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DURHAM, N.C.—Snow and sleet pounded a large swath of the U.S. East Coast on Saturday, coating roads with ice and causing hundreds of crashes. Thousands of people lost power and forecasters warned of blizzard-like conditions from Virginia to parts of the Northeast.

Police investigated several fatal crashes as potentially storm-related, but some of the South’s biggest cities—Atlanta, Charlotte and Raleigh—appeared to avoid the worst of the storm. Authorities praised residents for learning the lessons of past storms that resulted in icy gridlock, where thousands of people were stranded along the interstates. But officials warned that bitter cold would keep roads treacherous well after the snow and sleet stopped.

“If I tell you anything it would be stay home,” North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said. “Do not go out and drive on the roads unless you absolutely have to.”

The storm lingered in northeastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia, where blizzard conditions were reported. The weather was believed to be responsible for a 20-vehicle pileup on a Connecticut highway, although initial reports indicated there were no serious injuries.

Road crews clear the street during a snowstorm in Norfolk, Va. on Jan. 7, 2016. Snow pounded a swath of Virginia on Saturday as hundreds crashed on icy roads, thousands lost power and blizzard warnings were issued along the East Coast. (AP Photo/Jason Hirschfeld)
Road crews clear the street during a snowstorm in Norfolk, Va. on Jan. 7, 2016. Snow pounded a swath of Virginia on Saturday as hundreds crashed on icy roads, thousands lost power and blizzard warnings were issued along the East Coast. AP Photo/Jason Hirschfeld