NC's winter storm in 7 GIFs

During a press conference ahead of the storm, Gov. Pat McCrory offered some succinct advice to North Carolina residents on how to stay safe.

But thousands of motorists heading home early to beat the storm were still stranded on roadways across the state. Gridlock in some areas, such as Glenwood Avenue and Angus Drive in Raleigh, caused serious problems for drivers who lost traction on the ice and snow.

Original video by viewer Lee Harris

The fast moving wintry mix, which coated roads in some places in less than 20 minutes, forced some drivers to abandon their vehicles altogether. Traffic cameras Thursday morning showed abandoned cars and trucks lined along highways as N.C. Department of Transportation crews worked to clear the roads.

But it wasn't all chaos.

Mixed among the frustration and traffic jams were people who opened their homes and businesses to cold, stranded travelers trudging through the snow. Others, like a group of students near N.C. State University, worked to get stuck drivers back on their way.

In Durham Thursday, others helped drivers free their cars from the overnight accumulation of ice.

Around noon on Thursday though, the snow began to fall again as another part of the weather system moved into the area.