At a Glance
- Three states have declared a state of emergency.
- Warming shelters have opened and schools have moved to modified schedules.
- National Guard troops are stationing in North Carolina.
The Carolinas are preparing for yet another winter storm just days after ice and snow caused widespread outages and travel woes in western portions of those states. Portions of Virginia and Texas will also be affected by the upcoming winter storm.
The snow and ice will come from a system named Winter Storm Jasper by The Weather Channel through late Friday.
(FORECAST: Snow, Sleet and Freezing Rain Expected from the South to the Mid-Atlantic)
Preparing for Another Ice Storm, Snow in the East
The governors of North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia each declared states of emergency ahead of the storm system that was forecast to blow in as mixed precipitation on Thursday, followed by a round of snow on Friday night into Saturday. The winter blast could ice over a large swath of eastern North Carolina and the northeastern corner of South Carolina, while dumping snow around Norfolk, Virginia, according to the National Weather Service.
The forecast prompted Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin to declare a state of emergency Thursday that will remain in effect through Saturday. His executive order allows the state greater flexibility in mobilizing people and resources to prepare and respond.
“I urge all Virginians to monitor their local weather forecasts and take personal safety precautions to ensure their safety and the safety of their families,” Youngkin said in a statement that called on Virginians to stay off the road during hazardous conditions.
Transit systems in southeastern Virginia, including Norfolk, will close early Friday evening due to the expected weather. This will include trains and the Elizabeth Island Ferry. Several schools, universities and government offices will also close in southeastern Virginia.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper signed a state of emergency Wednesday ahead of the storm, the second to hit the state in a week. He said Thursday that 114 National Guard troops were staging in central and eastern North Carolina to prepare to move to the affected areas. He said ice accumulations could cause extended power outages and urged people to look out for their neighbors as lows dip below freezing in the coming days.
“We’re a little more concerned about this one because it’s going to be so cold Friday and Saturday night, and if there are power outages, then we are concerned about maybe some families who can’t stay warm,” he told reporters.
Several schools across the state canceled after-school and extracurricular activities.
In South Carolina, where Gov. Henry McMaster also declared a state of emergency, schools and government offices around Charleston and other places that don't see much frozen precipitation closed or announced shortened hours Friday. Freezing rain, sleet and snow were expected to start spreading across the state around sunrise. And utilities in the northeastern part of the state warned major power outages were possible.
Shelters Opened and Schools Closed From South Texas to West Florida
With freezing rain and sleet already falling, temperatures were expected to dive Thursday night into early Friday in South Texas.
Several warming shelters were opened in Bexar County, Texas, home to San Antonio, due to the expected hard freeze, according to KSAT. Similar shelters were opening in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Schools and universities, including some campuses of Texas A&M Univeristy, were shifting to modified schedules or remote learning in portions of South Texas and in Louisiana.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott opened the State Operations Center on Wednesday ahead of the winter weather.
With forecasters predicting a brief period of light freezing rain overnight and low temperatures just below freezing, school systems that are closing or going virtual Friday include those in Escambia County, Florida; Baldwin County, Alabama; and George and Stone counties in Mississippi. Classes are set to resume Monday.
Icy, Snowy Forecast in the East
This storm will bring its impacts further east in the Carolinas than Winter Storm Izzy's impacts earlier this week.
A sluggish cold front will seep southward through the Carolinas and the Gulf Coast on Friday with plentiful cold air in the Carolinas. Freezing rain is expected to cause some damage in the coastal Carolinas through late Friday while up to 8 inches of snow is possible from northern South Carolina northeastward to southeastern Virginia. The worst of the snow is expected in eastern North Carolina.
Light freezing drizzle is possible from South Texas into the northern Gulf Coast. Not much accumulation of ice is expected, but bridges and overpasses may become icy.
Temperatures overnight will drop into the 20s across much of the East, including the Carolinas and Virginia this weekend.
Portions of this article are from the Associated Press.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
