The heaviest snow is expected to fall across portions of central North Carolina and south-central Virginia, where 4-8 inches of snow are predicted to accumulate.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency on Tuesday ahead of the storm.
"Nearly all of North Carolina will be impacted by this winter storm, and we're making sure North Carolina is ready," Cooper said. "I urge all of our residents to be prepared and to stay safe."
Wintry weather has already been blamed for a slew of road closures and accidents across areas from Texas to Kentucky this week. The snow and ice also forced school and government offices to close and numerous flight delays out of major hubs like Houston and Atlanta.
Over 500 collisions occur amid disruptive snowstorm in North Carolina
5:45 p.m. EAST Wednesday:
In a briefing, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said if must go out drive much slower and keep a lot of space between vehicles. He also said it is important to keep pets out of the cold.
Professional driver Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr. had a difficult time driving in these conditions.
4:40 p.m. EST Wednesday:
There is a wreck due to icy road conditions on 321 in Lincoln County which is near Shelby, North Carolina.
4:00 p.m. EST Wednesday:
Power outages are increasing across the state of North Carolina. Currently 27,444 residents are without power with most outages across central North Carolina.
3:45 p.m. EST Wednesday:
Over 450 flights have been canceled and another 540 delayed at Charlotte Douglas International Airport today, according to FlightStats.
The heaviest snow in North Carolina is currently falling around Raleigh with some areas northwest of the city measuring over 8 inches of snow. People are encouraged to stay off the roads due to hazardous driving conditions.
12:41 p.m. EST Wednesday:
In the city of Durham, North Carolina, slick travel conditions are being reported and there have been at least 13 traffic accidents in the city.
12:19 p.m. EST Wednesday:
Retired NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. is unharmed after his car slid off the road and into a tree in North Carolina.
10:19 a.m. EST Wednesday:
In a press conference Wednesday morning, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said there has been an uptick in the number of accidents reported throughout the state.
The North Carolina Highway Patrol has responded to over 500 traffic collisions Wednesday morning and over 700 calls for service.
© North Carolina Department of Transportation
Roads are quickly becoming snowcovered in parts of North Carolina as crews continue to treat the highways and secondary streets.
This North Carolina Department of Transportation image shows Spring Garden Street in Raleigh.
Comment: Earth's climate fluctuates cyclically and the changes in weather patterns we're seeing are those which precede an ice age so these increasingly long and cold winters will become more common place and if our infrastructure isn't upgraded to deal with it, we will see greater tragedies in the very near future:
- Heavy snowfall traps thousands of people in cars overnight in Spain
- 13,000 tourists trapped at ski resort in Switzerland after heavy snowfall (3.5 feet in 24 hours) blocks all roads and train line
- Another winter storm hits UK, hundreds of drivers spend night in cars after 15 inches of snowfall
- 'Domino effect': Dozens of vehicles pile up in row after mudflows in Crimea
Also check out SOTT's monthly video documenting the changes happening on our planet: SOTT Earth Changes Summary - December 2017: Extreme Weather, Planetary Upheaval, Meteor Fireballs