OUTER BANKS, N.C. – For the second time this year, the beloved sand and surf destination of Richmonders was transformed into a snow globe. Numerous areas in the Outer Banks reported that between three and almost 10 inches of snow fell overnight.

The Outer Banks will benefit from the same sunny warmup that will melt Richmond snow Thursday – before another round of sub-freezing temperatures overnight. But with temperatures remaining below freezing Thursday morning, schools were canceled and many businesses along the empty U.S. 158 corridor were closed.

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http://wtvr.com/2018/01/18/snobx-2018-pictures-of-outer-banks-blanketed-in-heavy-snow/

By Jeff Hampton
The Virginian-Pilot

COROLLA, N.C.

Cute, fluffy seals are sunning themselves and resting in the cold, wintry winds along the Outer Banks.

They have earned the nickname of Christmas seals because they annually appear during the holidays.

“The seals are hot and heavy right now,” said Karen Clark, director of the Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education in Corolla. “I’m getting three or four calls a day.”

Young seals migrate south during the winter in search of food, she said. Juveniles are lower in the hierarchy and have a hard time competing for food with the adults, so they venture from their homes in Canada and New England as far south as Hatteras looking for easier meals, Clark said.

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