THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, February 9, 1995 TAG: 9502090448
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE STONE AND PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITERS
LENGTH: Medium: 90 lines
All it took was a dusting of snow early Wednesday to slow traffic in Hampton Roads to a crawl - and give kids of all ages a chance to enjoy some wintry fun.
There was more to enjoy south of the border, however, where 2 to 7 inches of snow fell on the Outer Banks and Elizabeth City, closing schools and turning the area into a winter playground.
``It brings out the kid in you. I mean, it's just instinct,'' said Frances Jordan, 48, as she worked to complete a snowman in front of her brick ranch home in Elizabeth City's Edgewood community.
There was a slight chance motorists might face another day of slow going this morning as forecasts called for possible overnight flurries. But no accumulation was anticipated.
Temperatures should rise slightly today, and the next chance of precipitation, forecast for Friday, looks to be light rain.
Wednesday morning's snowy start caught most people by surprise. It took many commuters twice as long as usual to get to work - assuming their vehicles didn't become toboggans slip-sliding off the highway.
Police said more than 200 accidents occurred in South Hampton Roads, 100 on the Peninsula and at least 50 in northeast North Carolina.
Many were single-car accidents, with vehicles skidding off icy highways. Others were fender-benders, with one vehicle hitting another from behind when traffic slowed suddenly. Only a few involved injuries.
In North Carolina, however, one of the accidents was fatal.
The body of Michael Sears, 30, of Elizabeth City was found in an overturned car that apparently skidded off N.C. Route 158 and sank in an inlet of the Pasquotank River.
North Carolina State Trooper E.D. Johnson estimated that the accident occurred about 2:45 a.m. Wednesday, judging from snow accumulation on the overturned vehicle. The wreck was not discovered until 10:45 a.m., when highway workers noticed part of the car jutting from the water, Johnson said.
Snow flurries hit the Richmond area starting about 3 a.m. And along Interstate 64 driving became hazardous within minutes.
It wasn't so much the snow on the ground, but that it fell so fast that highway lines soon vanished. Drivers often found themselves looking into a white tunnel of flakes jetting at them.
Snow began falling about dawn in South Hampton Roads, and by the start of rush hour, many roads were slick. Motorists unaccustomed to snowy roads slowed significantly, and that left traffic snaking along at half the speed limit on many roads and highways.
Cars slid off roadsides into light poles and against guardrails and median walls - as well as into each other.
But for those who did not have to deal with the weather's downside, the snow did make for a picturesque morning. In areas where it fell heavily, every tree, bush and fence was capped with snow. Even the light dusting left lawns fluffy and white.
And while there was still more grass to be seen than snow, kids were not deterred from making the best of it on the slopes of Mount Trashmore. Youngsters skidded down the icy hillsides for as long as they could.
By midday, however, much of the snow was a memory.
In northeast North Carolina, the heaviest snowfall came in Point Harbor, where up to 7 inches fell.
From Elizabeth City east to the the Outer Banks, residents awoke to find streets and highways blanketed.
Commuters traveling from Currituck County to Hampton Roads had tough sledding on N.C. 168. Joan Williams of Moyock said her son Nathan left for his job around 7 a.m., only to return two hours later after making it just two miles up the highway.
He had better luck on his second try, his mother said. ``I guess everybody was in turmoil this morning.''
For the most part, Wednesday's weather meant an unexpected holiday for schoolchildren and some workers. Schools were closed throughout northeast North Carolina.
Jordan said she awoke about 1 a.m. And set an alarm to wake her at 3:15 a.m., ``just to make sure it was still snowing.''
Jordan's 13-year-old son Wesley worked on his own snow creation in the back yard. Daughter Melissa, snuggled in a snowsuit, romped in the snow with a friend down the street.
``I love snow!,'' she yelled, as she thrust her arms into the air. MEMO: Staff writer Perry Parks contributed to this report.
ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by Drew Wilson, Staff
Justin Clark, 14, an Outer Banks vacationer from Alaska, finds
familiar conditions Wednesday in Kill Devil Hills, N.C.
KEYWORDS: WEATHER by CNB