RALEIGH (AP) ó A winter storm confounded forecasters by skipping most areas that were braced for snowfall Wednesday in North Carolina and taking a southerly track that left snow from the mountains to the coastal plain.
Up to 3 inches were reported in Wilson, Dunn, Benson and Southern Pines in central and eastern North Carolina. The National Weather Service said 6 inches were recorded in several mountain areas with up to 10 inches on Mount Mitchell.
ěIt went farther south than expected,î said meteorologist Scott Sharp at the weather service Raleigh bureau. ěIt looked like it was going to track along U.S. 64 and it actually went closer to the South Carolina border.î
A winter storm warning remained in effect for mountains in the western part of North Carolina.
In South Carolina, snow started around Rock Hill and Lancaster and spread southeast to Myrtle Beach. Three inches of snow fell in parts of Chesterfield County, while an inch of snow snarled traffic in Florence. Snow also fell as far south as Berkeley County with little accumulations.
Schools were closed across parts of northern South Carolina from Rock Hill east to Marion.
An inch of snow in the Charlotte area surprised forecasters, hobbled early commuters and closed schools. Schools also were closed or delayed in mountain counties and in some foothills localities.
Snow fell along the Interstate 95 corridor in eastern North Carolina, but skipped cities from Greensboro to the Durham area. After passing Raleigh with no accumulation, the storm opened up and dropped up to 3 inches east of the capital.
ěWeíre all done with it now,î Sharp said.
The system was followed by a cold, dry wind that would keep most temperatures near or below freezing until Friday, when temperatures were expected to rise into the 50s on their way to a weekend of 60s.
In the meantime, wind chill reading were around 10 degrees across the central portion of the state and hit 7 below zero in the northwest corner.