Snow and ice shut down most of the Blue Ridge Parkway in western NC, park service says
A dusting of snow in Charlotte turned into something more treacherous on mountain roads Friday.
Rangers with the National Park Service started shutting down a large swath of the Blue Ridge Parkway around 10:30 a.m., according to the parkway’s Twitter feed.
By 7 p.m., much of the parkway from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to Boone remained closed — including along what’s known as the Asheville commuter zone, the Asheville Citizen Times reported.
Another section crossing the border into Virginia between mile markers 234 and 171 was also shuttered.
Rangers attributed the closures to dropping temperatures and snow sticking to the roadway.
NPS staff are working to close the parkway from Hwy 191 (Brevard Rd.) to Ox Creek Rd. in the Asheville area as snow begins to stick and temperatures drop. Please stay safe and keep our rangers safe as they attempt to close this section by taking an alternate route. @WLOS_13
— Blue Ridge Parkway (@BlueRidgeNPS) January 31, 2020
It’s unclear when the parkway will reopen but rain mixed with snow is expected to continue after 10 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.
It should “gradually” end, forecasters said.
Several counties near the Tennessee border remain under a Hazardous Weather Outlook for snow showers Saturday and into the night, including Avery, Madison, Yancey, Mitchell, Swain, Haywood, Buncombe, Graham and Northern Jackson.
“Additional light accumulations will be possible, mainly above 3,500 feet,” the weather service said.
