RALEIGH (AP) ó Snow began falling Monday across the Great Smoky Mountains as a frosty system swung toward the Carolinas, threatening the region with several inches of snow that are sure to stick as temperatures linger below freezing.
The fast-moving and intensifying disturbance was diving from Canada to the Carolinas, moving so fast forecasters were having trouble predicting which areas would face the most intense snowfall. It was moving over Minnesota by midday Monday but expected to hit the Carolinas at night.
Meanwhile, a system forming off the South Carolina coast was readying moisture for the event.
Both systems were expected to combine over the Carolinas late Monday night.
Brandon Dunstan, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Raleigh, said Monday morning that central North Carolina would likely get the worst of the snowfall, with totals nearing six inches in some areas. The mountains were expected to get a little less snow because of lower moisture levels.
Dunstan said northern parts of South Carolina could also see snowfall, depending on how the two systems progressed.
With the stormís arrival late Monday, forecasters said they expect to first see a wintry mix before the precipitation turns to snow overnight as temperatures cross the freezing mark and continue falling.
ěWeíre starting out with pretty cold soil temperatures, and weíll likely see accumulating snowfall on the roads,î Dunstan said.
That has transportation officials worried. The North Carolina Department of Transportation was pretreating bridges and major routes with salt brine to prevent ice from accumulating. Workers transition to using salt directly when snow begins to accumulate.
Some roadways in the mountains were already covered with a dusting of early snow that arrived as winds lifted moisture over the mountains. The Cherohala Skyway that connects North Carolina and Tennessee was covered in snow and ice, officials said, urging motorists to use caution.
Frozen roadways could be a lingering problem. Temperatures in parts of the Carolinas are slated to begin Wednesday in the teens, and they arenít expected to warm significantly until Thursday.
ěUnlike some of the systems that affect us, we are expecting very cold temperatures after the system moves out Tuesday evening and Tuesday night,î Dunstan said