ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) – In the mountains surrounding Asheville, locals are hunkering down to enjoy the winter storm from afar, taking refuge indoors.
After the events of Hurricane Helene, precipitation in WNC has taken on a new meaning: danger. As fun as snow may be, the last time a named storm was here, collective trauma was left in her wake.
As Winter Storm Cora dumps inches of snow in the area, some businesses remain open – at least for now.
“It’s just food or coffee. It’s not like I’m a surgeon,” said Huckleberry Cafe manager Mallory Smith.
Smith is more concerned about the safety of her employees than opening the store’s doors on time tomorrow.
“If we don’t open tomorrow, it won’t be the end of the world,” Smith expressed.
Montreat’s only cafe, operated by Smith, normally serves locally roasted coffee and American cuisine to locals, tourists and students of the nearby college.
“The South doesn’t know how to do precipitation,” Smith joked, recalling how last weekend she repeated “Please don’t skid” over and over while driving 20 miles per hour on Interstate 40.
Smith hopes her drive home tonight will be safer.
Across the street from the Huckleberry Cafe, Montreat College alerted students that classes after noon were cancelled, allowing students and employees take the necessary precautions for their safety.
Tyler Harrity, a senior studying cybersecurity, explained snow storms are a rare occurrence on the campus of less than 1,000 students.
“It hasn’t done that since freshman year. It’s a nice bookend,” Harrity said.
While he doesn’t plan on frolicking in the winter wonderland, Harrity expressed contentment that his time at the college “Started with snow and ended with snow.”
For more information on Winter Storm Cora, click here.