A dangerous winter storm moving up the East Coast delivered a potent mix of sleet and snow.

From Kentucky to the Carolinas, highways were littered with with pile-ups and spin outs.

Near Atlanta, police responded to hundreds of crashes. Although icy conditions forced road closures, the ice melted Thursday afternoon.

Ice also caused problems on the roads of Louisville, Ky., and parts of Tennessee.

I'm just chipping away," said Tim Olson of Louisville, who was getting the ice off his truck Thursday morning. "It looks slick. I hope it isn't too bad."

Thousands along the East Coast lost power.

Also, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, D-W.V., was forced to cancel a Christmas party scheduled for Thursday night at the Governor's Mansion. He asked all state agencies and state offices throughout West Virginia to close at 3 p.m. to allow employees time to get home before driving conditions worsened.

"Although the snow is beginning to taper off, the temperature will continue to fall as the day progresses. As the temperature falls, this will make for very difficult driving conditions, therefore I want to ensure that state employees can make it home safely," Tomblin said.

Since the storms began over the weekend, more than two dozen people have died.