Snow storm barrels into southern US as blast of icy weather widens

Washington: A powerful snow storm bore down Saturday on southern states as icy weather that has left more than 100 dead across a swath of the United S...

Washington: A powerful snow storm bore down Saturday on southern states as icy weather that has left more than 100 dead across a swath of the United States intensified in regions not used to subzero conditions.

Heavy snows were falling Saturday morning in North Carolina and neighboring states, as authorities urged residents to stay off the roads and warned oceanfront structures were threatened by the storm.

The freezing weather forced NASA to postpone a key fueling test over the weekend of the 322-foot (98-meter) rocket that is on the Cape Canaveral launch pad in Florida. That in turn is likely to push back by at least a couple of days a planned, manned Moon flyby slated for next month.

The National Weather Service said Saturday that an explosively deepening coastal cyclone will bring moderate to heavy snow, high winds, and possibly blizzard conditions for the Carolinas.

"An intense surge of arctic air behind the coastal storm will send below freezing temperatures down toward South Florida by Sunday morning," the service said, adding that it could experience the coldest temperatures there since 1989.