Winter storm blows through

Snow blankets downtown Salisbury.

This picture, taken around 4:30 p.m. from the Webb Road overpass at I-85, shows one of many wrecks occurring this evening. Photo by Hugh Fisher.

The Rowan Salisbury School System dismissed classes three hours early on friday because of the forecasted wintery weather that impending. The feeling of the seasons first snow raised the excitement level among students and teachers alike as many parents lined up early at schools to pick up their children. Faith Elementary School 4th grade teacher Eric Overcash was one of the several teachers with umbrellas in hand making sure that the children got safely to the waiting vehicles. Photo by Jon C. Lakey, Salisbury Post.

This picture, taken around 4:30 p.m. from the Webb Road overpass at I-85, shows one of many wrecks occurring this evening. Photo by Hugh Fisher.

By Hugh Fisherhfisher@salisburypost.com

After a rainy start in the morning, wintry weather moved in across Rowan and Cabarrus counties late Friday and covered local roads with snow and ice.

The result: a slew of auto accidents, including numerous reports of cars sliding off of roads. No serious injuries were reported.

Predictions of 1 to 3 inches of snow and sleet led Rowan-Salisbury and Kannapolis City school systems to dismiss early Friday. The snow didn't start in earnest in Rowan until 3:30 p.m., and Cabarrus dealt mostly with rain.

By 10 p.m., the National Weather Service was reporting 2 inches of snow in Salisbury, 3 inches in Lincolnton, 6 in Statesville and 11 in Morganton. Residents of Davie County reported several inches of snow.

A number of local events were cancelled, including high school sports and the Candlelight Tour of Churches in Spencer.

The snow and sleet were part of a major storm moving up the Atlantic Coast that threatened to shut down much of the region as officials warned of up to 20 inches of snow in some places and significant power outages. The National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings from the Carolinas to Rhode Island.

Elsewhere in North Carolina, snowfall totals of 6 to 15 inches were predicted as the storm hit cold air over the mountains. The wintry mix was expected to continue overnight. A winter storm warning remains in effect for Rowan County until at least 7 p.m.

The Federal Aviation Administration said departing flights at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport were delayed by as much as an hour Friday because of rain and wind. United Airlines said it had canceled more than 140 Saturday flights on the East Coast ahead of today's weather.

Forecasters expected up to 20 inches of snow through late Saturday from the Washington metro area to West Virginia.

They said it could be the most snow in the nation's capital since a February 2003 storm dumped nearly 27 inches at Baltimore-Washington International Airport.