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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) – People were being urged Sunday to stay off the roads in the Charlotte region after a snowstorm dropped a foot of snow in some areas.
Travel conditions were hazardous on Sunday, Feb. 1 in the Charlotte region and throughout much of the Carolinas following a historic snowstorm on Saturday, Jan. 31. Parts of the Charlotte area received 8-15 inches of snow throughout the day on Saturday — the region’s most significant snowfall in over 10 years.
Primary roads throughout the region were compacted with snow on Sunday and difficult to drive on. Secondary and residential roads were likely worse, with inches of unplowed snow piled on the streets.
In some areas, a layer of leftover ice from the previous weekend’s winter storm was beneath the new snow coating, lead to even more slick driving conditions this weekend.
—> Related: Over 800 flights canceled at Charlotte airport on Sunday following snowstorm
Local and state officials, and law enforcement agencies, were urging people to stay off the roads unless travel was absolutely necessary.
Emergency crews were called to help several drivers stranded on roads and sliding off of roads so far this weekend, in addition to weather-related crashes throughout the region.
In Cabarrus County, at least 100 vehicles were stranded on I-85 on Saturday following a tractor-trailer crash. Other crashes were reported in the Charlotte region — including a train crashing into a truck in Gaston County.
—> From Saturday: Major highway ’impassable’ in Union County after trucks caught in heavy snow
Salt not really effective Sunday morning
Crews were out on Sunday to plow roads, and to salt and brine the roads. The brine and salt weren’t likely to be effective Sunday morning, however.
According to our First Alert meteorologists, it was too cold on Sunday morning for salt and brine to effectively treat the snowy roads in the Charlotte region.
Salt “doesn’t really work” when it’s this cold, meteorologist Eric Garlick said at 6:30 a.m. on Sunday. The salt isn’t really efficient when air temperatures are below 20 degrees Fahrenheit, as they were for many areas early Sunday.
The salt does become more effective at around 25 degrees Fahrenheit, so it could begin working later Sunday as temperatures rise. High temperatures were forecast to reach the low 30s on Sunday (possibly remaining below-freezing for some areas).
Click here to see our latest weather forecast.
Snow plows were on the roads on Saturday, but most roads weren’t fully cleared. Snowfall was so heavy that as snow was removed by plows, it was replaced with fresh snow.
Gusty winds were also an issue on Sunday. Winds were causing the snow to drift, and moving snow from trees and structures to the ground.
Road travel was likely to be impacted for days following the snowstorm.
Click here to see our real-time traffic map.
If you must drive
Experts say that if you must drive following the snowstorm, there are some steps you should take to be safe:
- Be sure you have tires that can handle travel in the slippery snow.
- Leave significant space — about six to eight car lengths — in front of you at all times. This will give you more time and space to slow down when needed, or respond to slipping or spinning.
- Drive slow.
- Give yourself extra time to get to your destination.
If you haven’t cleared your vehicle off yet, expect to take 10-20 minutes to remove snow and ice from your vehicle before traveling. The snow that fell on Saturday was light and fluffy, but a layer of ice could be beneath it.
—> Photo gallery: Animals enjoy snow as Charlotte gets biggest total in years
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