Watch CBS News

South still suffering from latest winter blast

Tens of thousands of southern households were out of power after heavy snows in North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee and other central southern states
Snow slams southern states 01:53

The next big winter storm is building in the Southern Rocky Mountains and is expected to cause trouble from Utah to New York by the end of the weekend. Millions in the South still enduring the effects from this week's snowstorm, that knocked out power and tied up highways, hope it will not threaten them, reports CBS News correspondent Vinita Nair.

Temperatures in the Durham, North Carolina, region dropped into the 20s overnight, refreezing much of the snow that had thawed -- the perfect recipe for creating black ice.

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory urged people to be cautious on the roads.

"A lot of accidents occur after the storm has left where people become more comfortable and they think everything's okay," McCrory said.

From above, the view of Durham, North Carolina, is serene but on the ground it's a different story. The snow and ice have led to overturned cars, toppled trees and snapped power cables.

At one point 224,000 in the Carolinas were without heat and electricity.

"A lot of people are staying in their houses just to trying to keep the heat in," Durham resident Chris Bonino said.

Now, crews are working 16-hour shifts in the cold slush to turn it back on.

"We were just really fighting the storm, just trying to ride the wave," said Coleman Brown, who works for the Durham Department of Public Works.

He said the heavy snow they're experiencing is not typical for the state.

"When it lays on the trees, the trees [are] not used to it, limbs can't handle it," Brown said.

Neither could the roof of a Henderson, North Carolina, gas station. It became a heap of metal and wire after caving in Thursday.

"They're made to move and if it doesn't move it'll break," one person said. "That snow must've had a lot of weight to it."

Despite the significant progress that's being made with the power restoration and clean-up, hundreds of North Carolina schools are either closed or delayed again Friday.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.