A dramatic weather pattern change marked the first days of 2022 across the Southeast and mid-Atlantic, replacing the 80-degree warmth in some locations with an all-out snowstorm.
The onslaught of the first accumulating snow of the season for many left several cities along the East Coast nearly shut down, snarled traffic, left nearly 1 million without power on Monday and has been blamed for at least two fatalities, according to officials.
The storm unleashed hefty snow amounts across parts of the eastern U.S. with accumulations climbing to 14.6 inches in Glendie, Virginia, and 11.0 inches in Swiss, North Carolina. On Monday night, Huntingtown, Maryland, reported 15.5 inches of snow. Even areas as far south as Alabama were hit with a blast of wintry weather, and Moores Mill, Alabama, picked up 7.0 inches of snow -- more snow than New York City (Central Park), Philadelphia and Boston have reported all season combined. Bell Buckle, Tennessee, received about 9 inches of snow by Monday night.
Blount County Sheriff's Office in Tennessee confirmed with AccuWeather National Reporter Bill Wadell on Monday that a 7-year-old girl was killed after a tree fell on a rental cabin near Townsend, near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, during the morning hours. Officials are still investigating the cause of the girl's death but said weather likely played a role. According to the sheriff's office, heavy snow was sticking to the trees, and numerous reports had been called in about snow-covered trees crashing down throughout the day.
A second fatality was reported in Georgia by officials with the DeKalb County Fire Department on Monday. A 5-year-old boy died after a tree fell on a home in the county around 5 a.m., local time. DeKalb Fire Department spokesman Capt. Daniels told Channel 2 Action News that the recent wet and windy weather contributed to the falling tree.
"All the rain that we've been having, the ground has been really soft," Daniels said. He added that the tree had split the house in half, making it difficult to retrieve anyone inside.
Later on Monday, a deadly crash killed three people in Montgomery County, Maryland, after a vehicle and snowplow collided. The crash occurred just before 7 p.m. local time and shut down part of Columbia Pike. An investigation was underway Monday night, and drivers were advised to use other routes.