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Sunday, February 14, 2010

As snow melts away, rain probably on way

Friday night's snow triggered hundreds of wrecks in the Charlotte metro region and probably provided the makings for thousands of snowmen.

This morning, it could pit motorists against sheets of black ice.

But anyone watching Monday's forecasts with hopes or fears of more accumulating snow should expect mostly rain instead, forecasters say.

As Charlotte snowfalls go, this one was nothing out of the ordinary. About 3 inches was measured at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport, with heavier amounts in the southern suburbs. The snow was a bigger story in South Carolina, with significant accumulations in Columbia, Myrtle Beach and Charleston.

Saturday was a great day to enjoy the snow, with sunny skies and temperatures that warmed to near 40 degrees.

That melted snow off area roadways, but authorities warned that with readings this morning expected in the upper teens, black ice could be a problem. The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory for the region until noon because of the ice threat.

"Shaded areas, bridges, ramps and approaches to intersections and turn lanes are some areas that might be affected," said Jen Thompson of the N.C. Department of Transportation.

Road crews were on call overnight to deal with any icy spots.

Highs in the mid-40s today should melt much of the remaining snow, just in time for the approach of another system late tonight and Monday. Precipitation along the approaching cold front will fall as snow in the mountains, forecasters say, but a repeat of Friday night is not likely in the Piedmont and foothills, they add.

"It looks like the precipitation should be nearly all rain," said Andrew Kimball, of the National Weather Service office in Greer, S.C. He said a bit of snow might mix with the rain Monday morning around daybreak, but no accumulations are expected.

To the south of Charlotte, Columbia's 8-inch snowfall was its largest in nearly a decade. The 3-plus inches recorded at Charleston was the most in two decades. And Myrtle Beach received more than 3 inches, its biggest snowfall in 11 years.

The snow and freezing temperatures created hazardous driving conditions that were blamed for more than 1,500 car crashes in South Carolina, Highway Patrol spokesman Josef Robinson said Saturday.

More than 37,000 power outages were reported across South Carolina - most of those along the southeastern coastal areas. High school basketball games were postponed in South Carolina and college baseball and softball games were canceled or postponed in both states.

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