Winter storm Jasper has been causing mayhem in the Carolinas and Virginia this weekend. The storm brought snow, ice, and a lot of canceled flights to some of our southern states. By Saturday, almost 200 flights had been canceled at Charlotte Douglas International Airport alone. The airport canceled 187 flights as the winter storm dropped 1.9 inches of snow over the area. That amount of snow is a record for January 21st. Some areas saw more snow from the storm – up to six inches.
According to The Weather Channel, winter storm Jasper should sweep up through the East Coast and into the Midwest. So far, the Carolinas have gotten the worst of the storm. Charleston, SC issued their first winter storm watch since the beginning of 2018. As the storm leaves the south, winter storm watches are being announced for other states. For example, New Jersey, Virginia, and Texas have all been issued winter storm watches by the National Weather Service. The Sun reports that some states have even declared a state of emergency before winter storm Jasper hits them.
“It’s already below freezing, it’s already pure freezing rain, so it looks like this is a textbook event to overperform in terms of the ice accumulation,” said meteorologist Reed Timmer. The NWS has called the storm a “once in a decade” event, since the southern states that have been impacted don’t usually get this much snow and ice.
Winter Storm Jasper Cancels More Than Just Flights
Many students in the affected areas were given three-day weekends because of the storm. So far, the storm brought below-freezing temperatures to a lot of different areas in the US. For the Carolinas and Virginia, hopefully the weather will clear up by the end of the weekend. Until then, windchill and icy roads are sticking around.
Icy Roads Cause Fatalities and Accidents in the Carolinas and More
Residents in SC, NC, and VA were advised to stay off the roads this weekend due to dangerous amounts of ice. In the Carolinas alone, roads are covered in sheets of ice that are up to half an inch thick. NC’s DOT told people that they should stay in and warm up instead of venture outside. VA’s Department of Transportation had similar advice for their residents. “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 DOT tweeted.
In Raleigh, NC, an ambulance wrecked on an icy road while carrying a patient. Two of the workers on board were injured. Sadly, the patient died after the crash. The governor’s office said that it was just one of many crashes that have been caused by winter storm Jasper’s icy conditions. These slippery roads haven’t just affected cars, though. At Raleigh-Durham International Airport, an airplane slipped off the runway. Thankfully, no one was injured during the incident.
