Snow roundup: Hendersonville sees 10-12 inches of snow; Brevard College roof collapses

A winter storm that dropped a foot of snow in parts of Western North Carolina left thousands of residents without power and caused a roof collapse at a local college.

The storm's remnants made travel dicey on Jan. 18, particularly on secondary roads in the mountains. N.C. Department of Transportation spokesman David Uchiyama said the department had 227 trucks and 29 motor graders out during and after the storm, putting down 7,070 tons of salt and 425 tons of a salt-sand mixture in the 17 westernmost counties.

"It is going to be some time before everything is completely clear, with no concerns, though," Uchiyama said.

Related reporting: School closings in Western North Carolina, Jan. 18

Road conditions map: See when roads will be clear in WNC following Snowstorm Izzy

For up-to-the minute road conditions, visit drivenc.gov.

Roof collapse at Brevard College

At Brevard College in Transylvania County, spokeswoman Christie Cauble said heavy snowfall caused part of the Jones Hall building's roof to collapse. The incident occurred about 3:15 p.m. on Jan. 16.

"Jones Hall residents advisors responded immediately, and all students were safely evacuated and accounted for, with no injuries reported," Cauble said in a press release.

In an interview Jan. 17, Cauble said the college had housed 40 students at local hotels and another 20-25 were on staying on campus with friends. Another 15-20 were still at home when the incident occurred.

"Some of these students left the building in T-shirts and shorts," Cauble said. "It was unexpected excitement we did not want."

► Snowstorm updates as it happened Jan. 16

Fire department crews escorted students into the building Jan. 17 two at a time to retrieve belongings. The college was working to place the students staying in hotels into other on-campus housing, Cauble said.

A building inspector and emergency response crews were on site Jan. 16, along with the college's leadership team, as they continued to assess the building, Cauble said. An engineer will be on site Jan. 18 to assess the building, which was built in the mid-20th century, Cauble added.

Snowfall totals ranged from 5-12 inches

National Weather Service Meteorologist Scott Krentz said snowfall totals ranged from 5-12 inches in the mountain region, followed by wind gusts Jan. 17 that pushed the 50mph mark. That led to wind chills of about 20 degrees in the French Broad River Valley and in the minus-5-10 degrees.

The Jan. 16 snowstorm distributed a deep layer of powdery snow throughout the mountains, with the heaviest accumulations west and south of Asheville, Krentz said.

► Top 26 snowfalls in Asheville since 1869

Here's a look at snowfall totals in the region:

• Asheville: Between 5 and 7.5-8 inches.

• West Asheville: 8 inches.

• Fletcher: 8-9 inches.

• Hendersonville: 10-12 inches.

• Black Mountain/Marion: 5-6 inches.

• Waynesville: 11 inches.

• Canton: 12 inches.

• Beech Mountain: 8 inches.

• Blowing Rock: 11 inches.

• Mount Mitchell: 15-16 inches.

• Newland: 8.5 inches.

More snow is possible as the week progresses. The National Weather Service forecast predicts a slight chance of snow between 10am-11am on Jan. 19, then a chance of rain. The high for the day will be near 49.

Thursday brings a 30 percent chance of snow before 9 a.m., with a high for the day reaching 38. Friday brings a 30 percent chance of snow showers after 2 p.m., with a high near 30.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Snow roundup: Dicey commute on tap in WNC, but roads improving