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U.S. NEWS Monday 10 deceMber 2018
Winter storm causes

icy roads across

swath of South

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Five members of a dive
A massive storm brought team searched the Neuse
snow, sleet, and freezing River in Kinston, North Caro-
rain across a wide swath lina, for a missing truck driv-
of the South on Sunday — er Sunday after a tractor-
causing dangerously icy trailer ran off a road and
roads, immobilizing snow- into the river, WRAL-TV re-
falls and power losses to ported . Police just outside
hundreds of thousands of of Charlotte said a driver
people. died when a tree fell on a
Accidents on snow-cov- moving vehicle.
ered interstates caused Governors and local of-
major delays, hundreds ficials in several states
of flights were canceled declared emergencies
and drivers in North Caro- ahead of the storm cross-
lina and Virginia got stuck ing several Southern states,
in snow or lost control on which hit portions of North Zac Evans, front, and Stephen LaFleur go airborn sledding off
icy patches. Meanwhile, Carolina and Virginia par- a ramp while Deac, the dog, follows them down the hill at
kids and the young at ticularly hard. Ardmore Park Soccer Field on Sunday, Dec. 9, 2018, in Winston-
Salem, N.C.
heart took advantage of Virginia State Police said Associated Press
the early winter snow with Interstate 81 in far south-
snowball fights, sledding west Virginia was particu-
and snowmen. larly dangerous, with snow
Police in North Carolina coming down faster Sun-
and Virginia said they’d day afternoon than crews
responded to hundreds of could clear it. Police said
snow-related traffic acci- several tractor-trailers slid
dents as of Sunday after- off the highway.
noon, as cars, trucks and Officials warned residents
tractor-trailers all struggled to prepare emergency
with the snow and ice. kits and stay off roads in
North Carolina Gov. Roy impacted areas. Several
Cooper strongly urged resi- schools districts in North
dents to stay off the roads Carolina and Virginia an-
Sunday, asking drivers not nounced they’ll be closed
to put lives of first respond- Monday.
ers needlessly at risk. Coo- “Virginians should take all
per said emergency crews, necessary precautions to
including the National ensure they are prepared
Guard, worked overnight for winter weather storm
to clear traffic accidents impacts,” said Virginia Gov.
on major roadways. Ralph Northam.q

Sierra snowpack well

above average after

California storms

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — ters) of fresh powder in
Back-to-back California some mountain areas.
storms blanket the Sierra In the southern Sierra,
Nevada in snow, more Mammoth Mountain has
than twice the snowpack recorded nearly 6 feet (1.8
level compared to this time meters) since Oct. 1. The ski
last year, with winter still resort claims to have the
nearly two weeks away. deepest snowpack in the
At the same time last year, country right now.
the Sierra snowpack was The newspaper says moun-
47 percent of average, the tain snowpack provides
San Francisco Chronicle re- about 30 percent of the
ported Friday. yearly fresh water supply
A series of systems start- for California, which has
ing around Thanksgiving struggled with drought in
dropped several feet (me- recent years.q