Cold, dry conditions from the recent winter storm created powdery snow that's more easily removed from roadways.

The latest snowfall comes on the heels of efforts to recover from last weekend's ice storm, which made road conditions so hazardous that most school districts were closed or remote all week.

Extremely low temperatures are driving up energy use across the Carolinas, straining the electrical grid. There are currently more than 5,000 outages, with many concentrated in areas previously impacted by Hurricane Helene.

From the coastal plains to the Outer Banks, officials say the beauty of the frozen landscape masks treacherous conditions that have made travel nearly impossible across the region.

Interstate 85 was closed Saturday night between Dale Earnhardt Boulevard at Exit 60 and Exit 63 because of a multi-vehicle pileup blamed on weather conditions.

Road hazards, flight cancellations and closures are mounting as a winter storm moves through the Piedmont and High Country.

A powerful storm threatening howling winds, flooding and heavy snow is bearing down on the East Coast. Its forecast path includes some coastal communities in the Carolinas more accustomed to hurricanes than blizzard conditions.

In addition to several inches of snow across much of North Carolina, Stein warned about potential overwash on the Outer Banks and wind chills well below zero degrees Fahrenheit in western North Carolina.

The Triad is bracing for what could be one of its most significant snowfalls in years.

ReadyNC.gov has links to winter weather resources and emergency information.