Unplowed roads, low traffic mark early morning after overnight snowfall

LELAND, NC (WWAY) — Overnight snowfall left much of the Cape Fear region covered in inches of snow, creating hazardous and largely impassable road conditions Tuesday morning.

WWAY reporter Kamy Smelser observed conditions from the Interstate 140 overpass along U.S. 74 in Leland, where roads were coated with snow and slush and only a handful of slow-moving vehicles passed by every few minutes. Below the overpass, pavement on U.S. 74 was barely visible.

Video from the area showed U.S. 74 had not yet been plowed, forcing drivers to move at extremely slow speeds. At times, Smelser reported being the only vehicle on the highway for extended stretches. Conditions along U.S. 74/76 late Monday night were described as near whiteout, with very low visibility contributing to the snow-covered roads seen Tuesday morning.

Traffic remained minimal throughout the area, suggesting many residents heeded calls from officials to stay off roads. Along U.S. 17 around 9 a.m., roads were also unplowed.

Some people were seen sledding from the Interstate 140 overpass near U.S. 74, including riders on four-wheelers. Smelser reported that the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office said it was OK for people to sled in that area. One sledder said they wanted to take advantage of the rare snowfall despite rough road conditions.

“Enjoy it with your friends and family,” the sledder said. “You never know when you’ll see it.”

Farther east, conditions near Wrightsville Beach were also treacherous, with deep snow, estimated at around six inches, covering unplowed roads. Tire tracks indicated some residents were still driving in the area.

There were concerns about potential beach erosion due to high winds and a full moon creating higher tides, but from the locations observed, there did not appear to be significant erosion following the storm.