Hendersonville Gets Its White Christmas
A poinsettia leaf is covered in the Christmas snow.
Leigh Wills
Not long after people awoke Christmas morning to tear into their gifts, perhaps the best present of all came in the form of a Christmas snowfall. Make that a Christmas blizzard.
Christmas Day brought as much as 10 inches of snow in Hendersonville, and it was still coming down at 6am Sunday above Laurel Park. The National Weather Service says Sunday will bring about another inch to 2 inches of snow and perhaps another half inch tonight. It might not end Monday as the new work week is expected to see just a bit more snow before it ends around 9am.
Duke Energy reported more than 1,700 power outages in Henderson County as of Sunday morning. By 6pm, the number was down to 28. The Henderson County Chapter of the American Red Cross is on standby in the event a shelter needs to be opened due to power outages. Shelter information will be provided through the local media or people can call the Red Cross at 828-693-5605.
A winter storm warning is in effect until noon Sunday, according to the NWS. A winter storm warning means severe winter weather conditions are occurring, and significant amounts of snow are making travel dangerous.
With temperatures near freezing and snow-covered roads, people should not try to drive if possible. The N.C Highway Patrol says on its Web site that hazardous driving is expected through Monday.
"Most roads in the mountains and foothills will remain very hazardous for travel this morning. Increasing winds and snowfall will bring down several trees and power lines this morning. Some areas of blowing and drifting snow will also develop with locally reduced visibility at times," the NWS reports.
If you must travel, take along a cell phone, warm clothes, blankets, flashlights, food and water.
The city of Hendersonville reported that crews were working around the clock since Christmas to clear city streets. All roads have been plowed several times, and salt and sand are being applied. Rising temperatures and road traffic will play a big part in melting the icy mix that still coats the road surface, according to a press release from City Manager Bo Ferguson.
As for Monday trash pickup, Ferguson said customers should expect normal service, but some locations may not be accessible due to road conditions. Crews will make note of these missed locations and return as soon as possible later in the week to collect any missed trash.
Email
Print
Feed
