Last Updated on January 7, 2014 1:45 pm
The N.C. Department of Transportation’s snow and ice removal efforts went smoothly last night, despite arctic temperatures throughout the mountains and foothills.
Temperatures overnight in some mountain counties reached 14 degrees below zero with wind at 20 mph. A few counties reported minor technical difficulties when equipment froze because of the extreme cold, but those issues didn’t significantly impact snow removal.
Most interstates in the region are clear, but as temperatures stay below freezing today, icy patches are possible. Motorists are encouraged to use caution and look out for any NCDOT crews working along the roads.
Here’s some information on road conditions throughout the western region:
Division 11 (Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Caldwell, Surry, Watauga, Wilkes and Yadkin counties):
Some primary roads are partially covered in and west of Boone, but crews are working to clear those roads as soon as possible. To accommodate those efforts, Watauga County crews have 3,100 tons of salt and 3,200 gallons of gas and 3,000 gallons of diesel.
Crews in Ashe County reported 6 inches of snow in some areas, with temperatures hovering at 7 degrees below zero. NCDOT crews are currently working to clear secondary roads in western Ashe County, where wind caused snow drifts.
Division 13 (Buncombe, Burke, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Rutherford, and Yancey counties):
Interstates and primary routes in Division 13 are clear. Crews will continue to work on the division’s secondary routes today, particularly in Madison, Mitchell and Yancey counties.
Some counties in the division will have crews working tonight to address any problem areas that may remain.
Division 14 (Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Polk, Swain and Transylvania counties):
Conditions across the Division 14 range from no snow in several counties to snow showers over a period of 29 hours along the Tennessee border. Across the division, interstates are open and primary highways are mostly clear.
There was no snow in Henderson, Polk, and Transylvania counties. Macon, Clay, Jackson, and Swain counties received some snow, and crews in those counties have already finished clearing the roads.
Cherokee, Graham, and Haywood counties received the most snowfall. Crews will finish clearing secondary roads in those counties today.
