Lion? Check. Lamb comes later

WRAL Meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner reported the following snowfall totals, as of 11:30 a.m.:

Whatever snow doesn't melt during the day is likely to turn to ice Monday night, when lows are expected in the teens. The rest of Monday is expected to be cloudy, cold and breezy.

"We're going to have a very cold night tonight," Gardner said. "It will not be much warmer tomorrow."

A quick warm-up is on the way, however, with temperatures expected in the low 60s Thursday. The weekend will feature low to mid 70s.

"It's going to be like a completely different season from Monday to Friday," Gardner said.

Monday's storm brought up to 12 inches of snow to the northwestern mountains of North Carolina, and thousands of people lost electric service there and around Charlotte.

The National Weather Service said snowfall totals ranged from 12 inches in Saluda in Polk County to 6 inches in Charlotte and High Point.

Duke Energy reported more than 87,000 customers without electric service Monday. The worst problems were in Gaston and Mecklenburg counties, which had 10,311 and 8,463 outages respectively.

Progress Energy reported more than 3,000 customers without service in the central and eastern parts of the state.

The state Department of Transportation reported that winter weather was affecting highways from Interstate 95 west to the North Carolina-Tennessee state line.

Viewers have e-mailed and called WRAL News, offering their snow reports.

"Wow!! Lots of it! We have 3 inches here near Cleveland Elementary School!" wrote viewer Kristen Rice. "(It's) the first real snow I've seen since moving here :) Yippie!"

"So peaceful and beautiful. The kids and i are in heaven!" wrote Raleigh resident Melissa Maiorano.

"Wow, such a beautiful change. So far a few beautiful inches of light, fluffy snow," John and Christina Phelps wrote in an e-mail from their home in Hurdle Mills.

John Burns said "nice, fat flakes" were falling rapidly in the Brookdale area around midnight.

Frank, who said he lives near Wakefield High School, said he had about 3 to 4 inches at his house by around 4 a.m.