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WINTER WEATHER: Wind chill values plummet into teens in Charlotte; below 0 degrees in mountains

THURSDAY: Temps will plunge back into the teens Thursday night with clear skies and will hover in the mid-to-upper 30s through Sunday.

The cold will begin to let up early next week as the temps get close to 50 degrees.

The next chance for precipitation is late Monday, and by then it will be warm enough that it will be rain instead of wintry mix or snow.

WINTER STORM COVERAGE:

Chesterfield County was seeing dangerous driving conditions early Thursday morning. The Chesterfield police chief told Channel 9 that officers worked one wreck in town Wednesday, but that crews assisted with multiple other crashes across the county.

Rescue crews said the real concern was icy, slick roads, which forced schools to close Thursday.

“It’s beautiful, but its messy at the same time,” said Cheraw resident Shawnequa Brown. “I'm ready to get out of it. Ready to get home.”

The chief said extra officers will be patrolling the roads and responding to accidents Thursday morning.

Chesterfield County DOT crews worked through the night de-icing primary and major secondary routes in the southeastern section of the county and responded to isolated icy spots at locations south and east of SC 151 and US 52.

Back in North Carolina, Channel 9 reporter Dave Faherty was on Beech Mountain Thursday, where the temperature was 1 degree, but wind gusts of 15-20 mph made wind chill values closer to minus-20 degrees.

The mountains saw some snowfall as the strong system pushed in from the west, bringing very cold air. Channel 9 saw some truck drivers having issues along Highway 321 outside of Blowing Rock. Some had to pull off the road because of the conditions.

The Department of Transportation was out in force, dumping primarily salt on local roadways.

About half an inch of snow fell in the mountains, but it is freezing everywhere. DOT officials told Channel 9 they are having issues because the temperature is so cold.

Heavy snow also started falling overnight in Johnston County. Many drivers slid off Interstate 95 and officials are urging people to stay off the roads if possible.

As the storm moves up the East Coast, Virginia Gov. Terry McAullife has declared a State of Emergency. Virginia Beach is expecting up to 12 inches of snow.

Winter storm in North Carolina becomes deadly

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announced Thursday that three people died during the winter storm.

Authorities say two people died when their pickup truck overturned into a creek.

A spokesman for the state Highway Patrol says the truck came to rest on its top while submerged in the creek Wednesday night in Moore County.

Sgt. Michael Baker identified those killed as the driver, 57-year-old Michael Alexander Wilson, and a passenger, 73-year-old Jerry David Wilson. Both were from Bear Creek.

Both men died at the scene.

State Emergency Management spokesman Keith Acree said a third man died in Beaufort County around 2 a.m. Thursday.

The man's vehicle slid off the road into a ditch and overturned. Acree said the area had a lot of snow, and authorities determined it was a weather-related death.

Acree identified the man as 29-year-old Joshua Wayne Biddle of Washington, North Carolina.

Cooper said the driving conditions will remain hazardous over the next few days and black ice will be an ongoing concern through the weekend. He said that North Carolina Highway Patrol responded to more than 1,000 calls since the storm started Tuesday with more than 700 of those related to auto collisions.

Crews were working around the state to remove snow that fell across North Carolina.

The National Weather Service said unofficial reports indicated that 6 inches have fallen in places such as Pinehurst and the northeastern corner of the state. Fayetteville had 4 inches. Wake and Durham counties got more than an inch.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation said it had more than 650 vehicles out clearing roads Thursday morning. It reported that it had used nearly 200,000 gallons of brine and 3,700 tons of salt in the storm.

The governor said the biggest concern is the freezing temperatures. He said more than 6,000 homes and businesses are still without power. Utility crews have been working around the clock to restore power.

A state of emergency remains in effect for multiple counties in eastern North Carolina, which include Anson, Richmond and Stanly counties.

Snow moving out of the Carolinas, but not the cold temperatures

The snow is moving out of North Carolina but the cold temperatures are staying behind.

The National Weather Service had blizzard, winter storm warnings and winter weather statements in effect in half of North Carolina's 100 counties on Thursday.

Wind chill warnings and advisories were in effect in 54 counties for Thursday and in some cases, for Friday as well.

The snow and ice prompted the closure of many schools in the eastern half of the state.

Up to 6 inches of snow was reported near Fort Bragg.

Duke Energy reported about 2,400 customers still without electricity Thursday morning. Nearly half of those were in Craven County around New Bern.

Wind chill values could be as low as -30 degrees at the mountain tops in western North Carolina.

Most of the snow that fell in South Carolina is still here, thanks to cold temperatures expected until at least the weekend.

The National Weather Service had a winter weather advisory in effect along the south coast until late Thursday morning. The weather service said the frozen precipitation creates dangerous driving conditions.

Transportation officials report dangerous conditions east of Interstate 95.

Orangeburg reported 7 inches of snow.

A wind chill advisory is in effect for the northeast corner of the state. Forecasters say wind chill readings could drop as low as 0 degrees Friday morning.

Utilities reported about 1,500 customers without electric service Thursday. The biggest problems were in Charleston and Berkeley counties.

Schools were delayed or closed in the eastern part of the state.

Wednesday Recap:

Highs only warmed into the mid-30s Wednesday in Charlotte, thanks to abundant cloud cover. The clouds came from a massive storm along the coast, which brought a decent amount of snow in eastern North Carolina and South Carolina.

Anson and Richmond counties in North Carolina, along with Chesterfield and Lancaster counties in South Carolina saw the most snow Wednesday.

Storm slaps coastal South with most snow in nearly 3 decades

Two of the South's iconic coastal cities are weathering their heaviest snowfall in nearly 30 years.

The National Weather Service on Wednesday recorded 5 inches of snow in Charleston, South Carolina, as a winter storm blasted the Southeast coast and dumped snow as far south as Florida.

Across the Georgia-South Carolina state line, the weather service reported 1.2 inches of snowfall in Savannah.

Those are the highest accumulations recorded in either city since Dec. 23, 1989, when Charleston saw a record 6 inches of snow. Savannah had 3.2 inches on the same date — its second-highest snowfall on record.

Fort Mill and Rock Hill areas also received a little bit of precipitation.

Officials brine streets in Anson, Richmond counties

Major, busy roads in Anson and Richmond counties, such as Highway 74, are where North Carolina Department of Transportation trucks have been laying down brine for hours.

Snow is falling in those counties.

Meanwhile, local hardware stores have also been busy.

The H.W. Little Hardware store in downtown Wadesboro has seen about a 70 percent increase in business.

Staff said a lot of people are coming in for parts to fix busted water pipes and heaters.

The business also has ice melt at the front of the store ready for last-minute customers, along with snow sleds.

"It's bad when we have to make our money off this stuff, but hey, with the cold weather it's the temperature, it's the season,” said John Davis, manager of H.W. Little Hardware store.

Chesterfield, Lancaster counties deal with snowy mess

The winter storm is causing a mess on the South Carolina coast, but areas inland are also feeling the effect.

Chesterfield County officials began taking action when the storm track shifted westward Wednesday morning.

Snow began falling in Chesterfield County around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Rescue crews in Chesterfield County said they are more concerned about ice than snow.

In Chesterfield County, snow covered the sidewalks, roads and driveways like blankets.

Residents said the snow cover happened quickly.

“By the time we came out of the store, the grocery store down there, the ground was covered,” resident Jack Hammond said.

Chesterfield police Chief Eric Hewett said officers worked one wreck in town, but crews assisted with multiple others across the county.

“Luckily, the schools canceled early today around one o'clock so we didn't have the school traffic and the buses to contend with,” Hewett said.

Madison Steen, 11, was excited to hear that classes were canceled for Thursday.

“I just hope it snows a bunch so I don't have to go to school,” she said.

“It’s beautiful but it's messy at the same time,” resident Shawnequa Brown said. “I'm ready to get out of it, ready to get home.”

Hewett said over the next few hours they will keep an eye on what the roads will look like when people try to go to work in the morning.

He's already scheduled more officers to help with patrols, or accidents, if needed.

Officials forecast 1-2 inches of snow in Chesterfield County, but Tuesday night they weren't expecting that much precipitation.

Trucks were out covering bridges and major roads with salt brine in Chesterfield and Lancaster counties.

Schools dismissed two hours early Wednesday and local emergency officials started preparing to deal with everything from car accidents to possible power outages.

Officials asked people to stay home Wednesday night if possible.

"It will be dangerous, and also that puts our first responders at risk too when you're out on the road and they have to respond out to accidents,” said Harold Hainey with the Chesterfield County Emergency Management.

The snow is forecast to taper off in the evening, but it is expected to stick to frozen roads, and that's where there will be concerns for the early morning and schools Thursday.

Flights canceled

The blast of winter forced crews to close the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport Wednesday morning.

Snow covered the tarmac.

The storm has created cancellations and delays at airports across the U.S. and in Charlotte.

A number of flights have also been put on hold going from Charlotte to Myrtle Beach and Savannah.

The situation will get worse when the system slams into New England Thursday.

A woman from Canada was trying to return home after vacationing in Hilton Head.

It's been a long day,” passenger Katie Moore said. “We knew it might be canceled this morning."

WEATHER RESOURCES:

Cox Media Group

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