At least 2 dead in North Carolina as storm brings heavy snow to South
- - At least 2 dead in North Carolina as storm brings heavy snow to South
Thao Nguyen, USA TODAYFebruary 2, 2026 at 7:05 AM
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At least 2 dead in North Carolina as storm brings heavy snow to South
At least two people have died after another winter storm brought blizzard conditions to parts of the Carolinas and prolonged cold temperatures along much of the East Coast, as tens of thousands of homes and businesses remained without power in the South on Feb. 1 following last month's deadly storm.
During a news conference on Feb. 1, North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein reported that there were more than 1,000 collisions over the weekend, which resulted in two fatalities and a major traffic jam that involved over 100 vehicles on Interstate 85. The governor did not provide additional details on the deaths, but the North Carolina State Highway Patrol said the fatal collisions happened in Robeson and Rutherford counties.
The deaths occurred amid a second major winter storm that brought heavy snow, high winds, and risks of coastal flooding from the Carolinas to Virginia, according to the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center. The storm also caused frigid temperatures to linger for much of the country as states began to recover from power outages last month.
1 / 8Take a look at photos from North Georgia as snow blankets the regionMore than 2 inches of snow blanket Cumming, Georgia around noon on Jan. 31. It's the second weekend in a row North Georgia has been hit by a winter storm.
Stein noted that all 100 counties in North Carolina experienced snow conditions, including 16 inches of snow reported in Lexington and 15 inches in Ocean Isle Beach on Jan. 31. State authorities advised residents to stay off the roads on Feb. 1 as crews worked to clear the snow.
"But our fear is that with temperatures staying below freezing today and much of tomorrow, many roads will be bad in many places across the state for days to come," Stein said. "In addition, black ice is going to remain a risk throughout the week because of below-freezing nighttime temperatures. For your own safety and for the safety of the people clearing the roads, please stay at home if you possibly can. This is no joke."
The governor added that cold conditions, especially in western North Carolina, where wind chill temperatures could drop below zero, will further strain the electrical grid on Feb. 2. He urged residents to conserve energy and stay warm.
How much snow? Bomb cyclone in weekend forecast on East Coast.
Winter storm impacts southern Appalachians to Carolinas, southern Virginia
The Weather Prediction Center previously said a "rapidly deepening storm" would produce widespread heavy snow and wind from the southern Appalachians across the Carolinas and southern Virginia. In anticipation of the storm, Stein had declared a state of emergency and warned of whiteout conditions.
The powerful storm brought blizzard-like conditions to portions of the Carolinas and southern Virginia over the weekend, and caused some coastal areas to be buried in snowdrifts, forecasters said. According to AccuWeather, 12 to 16 inches of snow were reported on Jan. 31 from Charlotte, North Carolina, to High Point, North Carolina.
Some areas in Tennessee, South Carolina, and Virginia also saw about a foot of snow, AccuWeather said. Meanwhile, snow flurries were reported in parts of Florida.
Winter conditions caused widespread travel disruptions, with over 1,000 crashes reported in North Carolina and more than 300 in Virginia, according to state authorities.
Don't panic: How to prepare for winter weather.
Virginia State Police said on Feb. 1 that additional snowfall was impacting parts of the state and advised motorists to clear all snow and ice from their vehicles before traveling. Earlier in the day, state police said a trooper had responded to a crash involving a box truck that was struck by flying ice.
"The driver reported that ice flew from another vehicle, shattered his windshield, and entered the cab," state police said in a statement. "Fortunately, he sustained only minor cuts, but this incident could have been far more serious."
According to Stein, the winter storm caused road conditions to deteriorate in the Outer Banks. Don Campbell, chief of staff for North Carolina Emergency Management, said many roads across the state remained dangerous and were still covered in snow and ice.
"(North Carolina Highway 12) had to be closed due to ocean overwash, and with heavy winds and high tides, it might take a while to reopen," Stein said. "Please stay off the roads there and be alert for any flooding. Do not drive through flood waters."
Tens of thousands still left in the dark
More than 169,000 homes and businesses across the United States were without electricity as of 6 p.m. ET, according to USA TODAY's power outage tracker.
In Mississippi and Tennessee, over nearly 85,000 customers were still waiting for power restoration after being hit by the previous winter storm. At one point, the last winter storm knocked out power to more than a million customers from New Mexico to New England.
Follow the latest updates on what parts of the nation have lost power:
Death toll climbs from last winter storm
Dozens of deaths have been attributed to the earlier winter storm and cold. Forecasters and local authorities warned of the risk of hypothermia and frostbite, especially for those without shelter or electricity.
Following the January winter storm, local authorities reported additional deaths — totaling over 100, according to ABC News and The .
Many cases were due to hypothermia, USA TODAY previously reported. Others are believed to be related to carbon monoxide exposure, motor vehicle and sledding accidents, and possible exertion from snow shoveling.
Contributing: Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Winter storm delivers heavy snow to the South, leaving 2 dead in NC
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