Light rain and mist and temperatures below freezing turned New Year's Eve into an icy mess across much of the North Carolina mountains.
Traffic on Interstates 26 and 40 came to a standstill for several hours Sunday after wrecks and heavy holiday traffic made it harder to treat the slick spots.
Several New Year's Eve and Day celebrations were cancelled because the roads turned so dangerous.
Some social media posts showed people celebrating the new year by honking the horns of their stopped cars.
Forecasters say the precipitation was very light, but it was so cold that whatever fell froze instantly.
It's going to stay bitterly cold. The temperature is expected to stay below freezing in Asheville for all but a few hours Wednesday over the next seven days.