Snow, cars, warnings pile up as storm moves east

The National Guard was called to help.

DeFebo says travel conditions on the turnpike are extremely hazardous and traffic is moving at a crawl in some sections. In addition to snow and high winds, the National Weather Service predicted up to a half-inch of ice accumulation in the Carolinas and potentially serious coastal flooding in the mid-Atlantic. He said the ban would be lifted at 7 a.m. (1200GMT) on Sunday.

In Kentucky, where 18 inches of snow fell in some area, drivers were stranded on a long stretch of Interstate 75 south of Lexington because of a string of crashes and blowing snow.

Icy roads didn’t stop Steve Goodson from trying to round up enough workers to open a McDonald’s restaurant as sleet pelted parts of Kentucky early Friday.

Michael Dossett, director of Kentucky Emergency Management, says the state has endured the worst part of the snow. It all started Friday.

Martin says the guard has more than 120 soldiers mobilized and ready to go at multiple locations across the state if needed to provide support during the winter storm.

He says: “It’s just been a mess”.

He said he was expecting 40 inches of dry, powdery snow, flawless for skiing.

In Silver Spring, Maryland, about 20 inches of snow had fallen by daybreak. Lightning flashed and thundersnow rumbled after 6 a.m. Thick snow continued to fall steadily in light wind.

Some motorists were stranded on the interstate for hours. She says the group’s buses ran into a couple of accidents within 10 miles of each other.

Centner interviewed Rebekah Sams.

Centner interviewed Rebekah Sams, who was stranded making her way to a volleyball tournament. All told, state police dispatch centers fielded 3,471 calls during that period.

Similar situations played out overnight on highways in Pennsylvania and West Virginia as the huge winter storm left tens of thousands without power and snarled roads in 13 states. By late Friday, Virginia State Police had reported 989 crashes statewide and had assisted almost 800 disabled vehicles, police spokesman Ken Schrad said.

When a Kentucky state trooper checked April Gilliam-Montesinos’ stranded auto on Interstate 75 overnight, he gave up his snack so her diabetic father could maintain his blood-sugar level.

Jessie says a tractor trailer crashed along southbound I-65 near Bonnieville in south-central Kentucky, but that crash has been cleared.

Photos from local media outlets showed a long line of trucks and other vehicles lined up along the snowy road.

Shelters have been set up for travelers at West London Baptist Church on Parker Road in London, and Rockcastle Middle School in Mount Vernon.

State Police officials tell Kentucky television station WTVQ (http://bit.ly/1Pu2rRP ) that southbound traffic was being diverted to Exit 76 in Berea, while northbound traffic was being diverted to Exit 41 in London. It turned I-75 in both directions in Rockcastle and Laurel counties into a parking lot.

“They’re nearly using it as a team-building experience”, he said, referring to being stuck.

Drivers also were stranded Friday into Saturday morning in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

The storm is moving eastward and could dump 2 feet or more of snow in some states.

Forecasters said as much as 2 feet or more of snowfall was forecast for Baltimore and Washington, and almost as much for Philadelphia.

One person died in Maryland and three in New York City while shoveling snow.