Winter Storm Olympia Kills at Least 6; Tens of Thousands Left in the Dark

Winter Storm Olympia killed at least six people with an icy, snowy blast that knocked out power to thousands and left roads a mess.

The large storm hindered travel up and down the East Coast for a second consecutive day, knocking out power to thousands while being blamed for hundreds of crashes. Schools were closed in many towns as officials attempted to keep students safe and roads clear.

(MORE: Warmer Temperatures Invade Next)

Here's what we know about how Olympia has impacted several regions.

New York

Top snowfall total: 22 inches, near Irondequoit

Nearly two feet of snow fell in parts of the Empire State, leading to major travel problems that left some residents questioning preparation for this storm.

In the Rochester area, travel advisories weren't issued and Monroe County facilities weren't closed until 10 a.m. Tuesday morning. County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo told the Associated Press the lack of response was because local officials didn't think the winter storm would be so intense so late in the morning.

"They should have issued that sucker at about 4 o’clock in the morning. I’m not sure why it was so late, especially with all the advance notifications we got," Ronnie Williams, Penfield public works director, told the Democrat and Chronicle.

As the heavy snow fell Tuesday morning, a pair of tractor-trailer crashes closed the Thruway in upstate New York near Albany for several hours, according to the AP. In Buffalo, extra crews were deployed overnight Monday into Tuesday morning to help clear the snow, the report added.

New Hampshire

Top snowfall total: 4.4 inches, Portsmouth International Airport

Roads were dangerous across the state Tuesday morning, and at least one major crash closed the southbound lanes of Interstate 93 in Manchester, the AP reported. There was no word on injuries in these accidents, the AP also said.

WMUR.com reported many New Hampshire schools were closed Tuesday due to the winter storm.

Pennsylvania

Top snowfall total: 13 inches, near New Castle

Travel problems began early Tuesday morning in the Keystone State when several cars and trucks collided in the northbound lanes of Interstate 81 in Lackawanna County, according to WNEP.com. Authorities said nearly a dozen vehicles – eight of which were tractor-trailers – were involved in the pileup, but there weren't believed to be any major injuries, the report added.

The winter storm quickly turned roads icy in eastern parts of the state, forcing the reduction of speed limits on some of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, officials said. Some schools were closed Tuesday, while others planned to open on a delay, the AP reported.

Washington D.C.

Top snowfall total: 4.3 inches, near Oxon Hill

The district's roads were in bad shape Tuesday morning, after a night of freezing rain coated surfaces and made travel extremely dangerous. As a result, many of the area's schools were closed Tuesday and federal offices operated on a 3-hour delay, according to NBC Washington.

Nearly 300 flights into and out of Reagan National Airport were canceled Monday, the most of any airport in the nation, according to FlightAware.

Virginia

Top snowfall total: 15 inches, near Roanoke

Top ice total: 0.4 inches, multiple locations

Almost 49,000 Appalachian Power customers, many of whom reside in Roanoke or Roanoke County, were without power Tuesday morning, the AP reported. Appalachian Power spokesperson Teresa Hamilton told the Roanoke Times that most of those outages could be blamed on ice that weighed down trees and power lines. Nearly 15,000 Dominion Virginia Power customers also lost power during the storm, the AP also said.

At least three people died on icy roadways Monday in Virginia. One person was killed in Fauquier County when an SUV collided with a snow plow Monday morning. Officials said in a statement the head-on collision occurred at about 7 a.m., and the victim was later identified as 63-year-old Steven Gibbs, of Linden, the AP reported. Information has not yet been released about the other two people killed in accidents.

In Lynchburg, a driver slid off Route 460 into the woods, at which point her car caught fire, WSET.com reported. The woman driving was able to exit the vehicle before it burst into flames, escaping uninjured. The scene closed Route 460's eastbound lanes and one of its westbound lanes for several hours, the report added. 

Secondary roads remained problematic on Tuesday, but officials said most highways and primary roads were clear of ice and snow. Officials told the AP that there were reports of ice downing trees on I-81 in Roanoke County.

West Virginia

Top snowfall total: 13 inches, Bluefield

Maryland

Top snowfall total: 9 inches, near Dowell

Top ice total: 0.38 inches, Long Meadow

With up to 9 inches of snow on the ground, Maryland officials asked residents to stay home, if possible. Many schools called off classes Monday, according to the Baltimore Sun, and the State Highway Administration told motorists that roads would be vulnerable to icing as the storm pushed on.

"If you must drive, only do so with a vehicle able to navigate the conditions, use extreme caution, slow down and allow extra travel time," the SHA said in a news release.

More than 150 flights were canceled Monday at Baltimore-Washington International Airport, FlightAware reported.

North Carolina

Top snowfall total: 7 inches, near Fleetwood

Top ice total: 0.54 inches, near Glen Alpine

More than 32,000 Duke Energy customers woke up without power Tuesday morning due to the ice that was left behind by Olympia. Roads remained treacherous in many areas, and at least 10 counties delayed schools Tuesday morning because of the poor road conditions, the AP reported.

Travel was slow and dangerous across parts of northern and eastern North Carolina as the snow and ice arrived. More than 1,100 crashes were reported on the state's roads from midnight to 10:30 a.m. Monday, according to the Associated Press.

(MORE: Check Our Exclusive Interactive Storm Reports Map)

To the south, a stretch of I-95 northbound near Fayetteville was closed Monday morning due to a wreck. The state DOT said the road was reopened a few hours later.

An 8-car collision shut down part of the I-485 outer belt in Huntersville Tuesday evening, according to the Charlotte Observer. One person suffered minor injuries in the crash that occurred around 5:40 p.m., the report added.

Another 3-car crash was reported in the same area, but on the inner belt, just 20 minutes after the eight-car wreck had taken place, the Observer also said. The state DOT estimated the clean up would take over an hour and the highway was closed between exits 20 and 23. 

South Carolina

Travel issues carried over into parts of South Carolina including Greenville County where 70 traffic incidents were reported Monday. The South Carolina Highway Patrol reported 145 traffic incidents across the state, according to WYFF 4.

Wisconsin

A multi-vehicle pileup took place on Interstate 94 near Deerfield Sunday afternoon, according to News 3. The crash occurred on the westbound lanes of I-94 near mile marker 253, shutting down all westbound lanes of traffic.

According to Dane County Emergency Dispatch, they received reports that the crash involved at least 10 cars.

There have been no immediate reports of injuries or deaths.

Illinois

More than 300 of the country's 480 canceled flights occurred at Chicago's two major airports on Sunday, according to FlightAware. More than 250 flights were canceled into and out of O'Hare International Airport, and nearly 60 more were canceled at Midway International Airport due to the winter storm.

Indiana

A multi-vehicle crash took place on Interstate 65 in Lebanon Sunday afternoon, closing all lanes of traffic, according to the Indiana State Police.

According to Boone County Corporal Art Naekel, poor visibility on the highway led to a 5-car collision that brought traffic to a standstill, followed by another crash involving dozens more vehicles, the AP reported.

At least 10 people were injured taken to nearby hospitals.

The westbound lanes of I-70 in Putnam County near US 231 in Cloverdale have also been shut down due to a multi-vehicle pileup, FOX 59 also reports. The crash took place just after 3 p.m. Sunday, with no immediate reports of injuries.

A yellow travel advisory was issued for Hamilton, Boone and Hancock counties, meaning "routine travel or activities may be restricted in areas because of a hazardous situation" and caution should be exercised.