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Wind, snow causing dangerous conditions in NC mountains

BEECH MOUNTAIN, N.C. — North Carolina’s mountains were battered by snow and freezing temperatures Wednesday.

Conditions continue to be rough as Avery and Watauga county schools are canceled for Thursday.

Firefighters in Watauga County said roads are dangerous because they had rain before the temperatures began to plunge. A layer of ice to form under the snow and some drivers discovered it too late.

Eyewitness News had only been at an accident for a few minutes near Boone when a pickup truck slid out of control slamming into two other trucks that then slid off the road.

It wasn't just vehicles out of control here because of the icy conditions.  A Boone police officer slid right by WSOC’s camera while working the wreck.  He ended up taking a bad spill, but he's OK.

Passenger Bobbi Havron witnessed it all and told Channel 9 what it was like being in her truck -- one that was hit several times.

"I was holding my breath and closed my eyes and just counted the bangs,” Havron said. “He hit us about two times in the front. And then slammed into the side of us and pushed us down the embankment and I just started praying."

At the higher elevations, wind gusted in excess of 50 mph.

All of it was too much for not only students in Watauga County but coeds at Appalachian State University where classes were called off for much of the day

"Some days it is sunny and then the next day hello snow. It is hard to even stand right now.  Ya, ya,” said student Natasha Small.

Watauga County schools have missed 14 days so far this winter.