Winter Storm to produce worst icing in 20 years for coastal Carolinas

South Carolina DOT Camera

Many roadways in South Carolina are snow-covered. SCDOT says they have around 2,500 employees working the winter storm and have prepositioned tow trucks to help with any crashes.

SCDOT advises any motorists in need of help in the Palmetto State call *47 for assistance.

Courtesy: Carthage Fire Department

A snowplow has crashed and overturned in Carthage, NC. There is no word if anyone was injured.

Heavy snow and ice are impacting millions across the Carolinas on Friday evening.

VA DOT camera from I-264 in Virginia Beach

Snow is starting to cover roads in the Virginia Beach area. This is the scene along I-264 in the Great Neck Creek area. Forecast models show upwards of 5 inches of snow falling in extreme southeastern Virginia.

Three crashes have been reported in Jacksonville, NC as of Friday evening, including a North Carolina DOT salt truck colliding with a concrete barrier. No serious injuries reported.

Metro Norfolk are snowfall forecast

Forecast models show upwards of 8" of snow is possible in the Norfolk, VA area. Moderate snow continues to fall over southeastern Virginia and more is on the way.

Track the snow on the FOX Weather 3D Radar: Click Here

Freezing rain is leading to ice building up in parts of North Carolina. The area is under an Ice Storm Warning and forecast models show by late Saturday morning, upwards of half an inch could form.

Latest forecast: Click Here

Winter forecast for Friday & Saturday

Isolated power outages are starting to be reported in the Carolinas because of the winter weather.

Here's how you can keep your cellphone charged during an outage: Click Here

FOX Weather

Emergency managers are reporting multiple crashes in the Jacksonville, NC-area due to ice-covered roads and bridges as freezing rain continues to fall.

FOX Weather

Latest freezing rain reports in to the National Weather Service from southeastern North Carolina.

For the second time in a week, parts of South Carolina could see treacherous travel due to frozen precipitation.

Ice is now coating trees and other outdoor vegetation in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Areas of the Grand Strand could see upwards of half an inch of ice accretion through Saturday morning.

Learn more about ice storms: Click Here

3D Radar image from FOX Weather app

Freezing rain reports are coming in from the Columbia, SC area north and east through Myrtle Beach, SC into Wilmington, NC. (Mixed precipitation shows in pink areas on the 3D Radar from the FOX Weather app.) Light glazes reported so far.

Raleigh metro area snow forecast

Snow is falling in and around Raleigh, North Carolina right now. By the time the storm system pushes off the coast, areas of the metro could pick up on upwards of 5 inches of snow.

Lighter accumulations are expected west of the city, along Interstate 40.

Latest forecast: Click Here

Outer Banks impacted by winter storm

NC DOT reports all ferry routes to the Outer Banks have been suspended due to high winds and frozen precipitation. Officials say they'll restart operations as soon as possible.

WEATHER NEWS

2,500 power workers staged in North Carolina ahead of ice storm

Duke Energy, the primary electricity provider for the Carolinas, has staged about 2,500 workers in North Carolina ahead of a winter storm that is forecast to coat the region in ice and snow.

Duke Energy spokesman Jeff Brooks said that crews have been brought to the Wilmington, North Carolina, area to supplement the Carolina-based crews. Wilmington is forecast to be in the center of the heaviest ice amounts.

It takes about a quarter-inch of ice to start causing problems for tree limbs and power lines, according to Brooks.

Master Trooper Brian Lee said the South Carolina Highway Patrol is encouraging people to stay home if they can because roadways may become impassible very quickly during the ice storm.

For several Carolina counties, this is the first Ice Storm Warning issued since at least 2001, according to the NWS Weather Prediction Center.

The ice storm could down trees and branches causing widespread power outages. Travel could be dangerous when roads become slick with ice.

The ice and snow is expected to increase into Friday evening.

Snowfall forecast

In addition to the ice threat, heavy snow is forecast along and east of I-95 in North Carolina and Virginia. Forecast models show some areas could pick on more than 6" of snow.

Frozen precipitation is starting to fall in these areas and will move out on Saturday morning.

Latest forecast: Click Here

Snow and ice will become heavier into Friday night. An ice glaze was already coating some surfaces in Newport as of 1:30 p.m., according to the NWS.

WEATHER NEWS

Ice Storm Warnings issued in Carolinas as winter storm overspreads Southeast, mid-Atlantic

The National Weather Service says the expected ice amounts would be 'unprecedented in recent history' for some areas.

The coastal Carolinas are facing a significant ice threat, including the potential for power outages and tree damage, as freezing rain spreads across the region. The National Weather Service says the expected ice amounts would be "unprecedented in recent history" for some areas.