Surprise Storm Packs a 1-Inch Snow Punch

An inch of snow was all it took to cripple Raleigh, the state capital, prompting plenty of finger-pointing as the city worked to recover from the surprise storm that caused gridlock and more than 1,000 traffic accidents, and which left 3,000 students stranded in classrooms overnight.

“A forecast that had given a better indication of the likely problem would have been very helpful,” Mayor Charles Meeker said.

Residents could not believe the city was brought to its knees by an inch of snow. “I just don’t think they’re equipped to handle it,” resident Lori Jamieson said.