On Monday, heavy snow and strong winds caused a winter storm to engulf parts of the U.S. Southeast region and mid-Atlantic states. Federal offices and schools were forced into shutdown as it threatened travel and power outages.
The National Weather Service stated that severe weather warnings were in place for Georgia, Virginia, and the Carolinas. They also extended north into Washington, Philadelphia, and Washington, where 4-8 inches (10-20 cm) of fresh snow and winds of 40 miles per hour (64 km/h) were expected. The weather service warned that parts of the region could see 2 inches per hour and a foot 1 foot (30cm) of wet snow during the storm.
“This is not a very common setup for us, especially at this time of the year,” Austin Mansfield, a Virginia weather service meteorologist, said. “When we are dealing with highly populated areas, increasing amounts of snow can be problematic.” Washington federal offices were closed due to the inclement weather. Schools throughout the region were forced to cancel or delay school because of the disruption.
Heavy snow was expected to accumulate on roads and power lines, creating dangerous travel conditions and possibly leaving homes and businesses without power in the region. Muriel Bowser, Washington Mayor, declared a snow emergency because public transportation in the 700,000. population was operating at reduced speeds.
Maryland Department of Transportation tweeted, “If travel is necessary, please lower normal speed,” “Take your time.” For coastal North Carolina, tornado and flood watches were in effect. Heavy rains and damaging winds were to be expected.
The Wake County public schools in North Carolina held classes for their 150,000 students Monday, despite the weather. Some people questioned the decision. “I was just in Wake Forest High School’s carpool lane and saw a tree falling on a car. Angela Carter, a Twitter user, said that there was a huge pop and spark from the power line above. “This is unacceptable weather for parents, teenagers, and buses driving on the roads. Make better decisions!”
(This story is not edited by Devdiscourse staff.