Southern West Virginia was sitting in the direct path of a strong storm traveling up the East Coast this weekend.

A winter storm warning remained in effect through 6 a.m. Sunday for “pretty much the whole state,” National Weather Service meteorologist Nick Webb said.

“The way this storm is originated out of the gulf, it’s a moisture-laden storm. This is the type of track you want to see for heavy snow around here,” Webb said.

Snow started falling in Beckley around 2 p.m. Friday.

Meteorologists said most areas would see about 18 to 20 inches of snow when it’s all said and done.

The eastern-facing slopes, including areas of eastern Raleigh, Wyoming and Nicholas counties, could get upwards of 20 inches, Webb said.

The NWS said snow accumulations should be over Sunday morning. The forecast for Sunday is cloudy skies with highs in the mid-20s.

Numerous accidents were reported Friday evening — too many for authorities to even count. At least one roadway between Mount Hope and Glen Jean in Fayette County was shut down. Motorists reported traffic on Robert C. Byrd Drive in Beckley moving at a snail’s crawl.

A Beckley police officer informed dispatchers a passing motorist told him 20 vehicles were stuck at a MacArthur stoplight. He reported numerous vehicles stuck in ditches, including a U-Haul.

Another officer said the Robert C. Byrd Drive/Eisenhower Drive intersection was a horrible mess.

“It’s the biggest mess I’ve ever seen,” he said. “There are cars stuck everywhere, and I think I’m going to be one of them.”

Raleigh County Emergency Services Director Jack Bowden said there had been no requests for emergency shelters as of Friday evening. The Red Cross and Salvation Army were on standby.

Four school buses taking students home from Daniels Elementary became stuck, but three managed to get the children home, Bowden said. One bus, though, went back to the school. Parents were to be contacted from there.

Traffic had been at a standstill since 5 p.m., and Airport Road in Beaver was shut down. State Division of Highways and Beckley Board of Public Works crews were working to get them cleared so people could get home.

Concord University canceled its Saturday fall commencement ceremonies. Some final exams were canceled. For more information, visit www. concord.edu or call 304-888-1247, 304-888-1246 or 304-384-5132.

— E-mail: jayres@register-herald.com and apridemore@register-herald.com