(Bloomberg) — More than 1,200 U.S. flights were canceled around Sunday as a powerful winter storm that dropped up to a foot of snow in many areas retreated out to sea while the East Coast and South remained gripped by a deep freeze, prompting at least one authority to ask residents to conserve.
The snow will taper off by midday across much of North Carolina, where inland areas received more than 12 inches and many areas along the coast reported up to 12 inches, the National Weather Service said.
The storm deepens offshore, where it can generate hurricane-force winds far offshore. While it may bring wind gusts of up to 50 miles per hour to eastern Massachusetts, the Northeast will miss the worst of the weather.
“It’s far enough offshore that it won’t have a huge impact,” said Rich Otto, a forecaster at the U.S. Weather Forecast Center.
Two major winter storms and crippling cold have hit the eastern US in a matter of weeks, testing power grids as heating demand rises and ice knocks out power to thousands. Some flights have been canceled due to heavy snow and freezing temperatures.
Duke Energy asked customers in the Carolinas to reduce power demand from 4 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday in hopes of avoiding temporary power outages, the company said in a statement. Thermostats should be set to the lowest comfort setting, large appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers should not be run, and electric vehicle owners should delay recharging until midday.
According to PowerOutage.com, nearly 178,000 homes and businesses were without power, mainly in Mississippi, Tennessee, Florida and Louisiana. Many of those areas have been without power since an ice storm knocked down power lines last week.
The cold snap has plunged so far south that it’s threatening Florida’s lucrative citrus crops. Snow was reported earlier Sunday in Tampa, Fla., while nearly the entire state is under an extreme cold warning. The temperature was 36F (2C) in Miami at 6am local time.
Across the United States, 1,289 flights had been canceled as of 10:30 a.m. New York time, according to airline company FlightAware. Charlotte Douglas International Airport was worst hit with 809 arrivals and departures. Nearly 2,500 flights were canceled in the US on Saturday.
Otto said temperatures in the eastern U.S. will moderate slightly next week, but will remain well below normal.
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