A layer of ice and a blanket of snow covered coastal areas stretching from South Carolina to Virginia after a winter weather system brought colder temperatures and precipitation not often seen in the region.
Authorities urged drivers to stay off the roads and highways, which forecasters said are slick and snow-packed in the storm’s aftermath. They also warned of black ice.
“The snow has stopped, the sun is up, temps remain below freezing and roads remain hazardous to motorists. Stay home and avoid travel today,” the Virginia Department of Transportation tweeted on Saturday morning.Further south, there was ice in parts of coastal North Carolina, which stretched along much of the South Carolina coast as well, although in much smaller amounts.
The snow prompted some restaurants along the touristy Virginia Beach oceanfront to close on Saturday. But two eateries, Commune and Prosperity Kitchen, opened their doors in the hopes that people would brave a walk from nearby residential neighborhoods. In coastal Onslow County, North Carolina, officials said that several highway bridges remained closed Saturday morning, and urged drivers to stay off even the ones that are open.
Cooper’s office said a majority of those calls were related to vehicles sliding off the roadway and becoming stuck or single vehicle collisions.