NC weather forecast: Freezing temperatures arrive Monday to turn heavy rain into snow

RALEIGH. N.C. (WTVD) — Heavy rain moved through North Carolina ahead of a sharp drop in temperatures, which brought snow to some areas.

As recent as two days ago, North Carolina was dealing with record heat: Raleigh saw a high of 79 and Fayetteville reached 81 on Jan. 1.

Clouds, rain and gusty wind moved in starting Sunday. On Sunday night into Monday, the temperature plummeted.

At 3:30 p.m., Meteorologist Robert Johnson said only snow remains for parts of the Coastal Plain, and the snow will be out of there by 4 p.m. The sun has returned elsewhere and will create a beautiful sunset this evening around 5 p.m. It’s still breezy out there right now but winds will diminish through the night.

The two main concerns for the evening as icy conditions since temperatures will fall into the teens and 20s, and flooding in low-lying areas such as creeks, rivers, streams.

It will be clear and cold tonight with temperatures in the teens and 20s and Tuesday will be sunny but cold with no one breaking out of the 40s.

LIVE RADAR

3:42 p.m.
The City of Raleigh’s curbside collection of garbage and recycling will be delayed on Tuesday because of the inclement weather. The potential for overnight freezing and black ice means a later start for crews.

If your regular collection day is Tuesday, please leave your garbage and recycling carts at the curb. Crews will be working through the evening to complete all routes. Regular pickup of garbage and recycling is scheduled to resume Wednesday.

Yard waste collection will be running a day behind the regular schedule for most customers this week. Here is the adjusted schedule:

• Tuesday yard waste collection will occur on Wednesday

• Wednesday yard waste collection will occur on Thursday

• Thursday and Friday yard waste collection will occur on Friday.

For more information, call Customer Care at (919) 996-3245 or visit the City’s website.

3:30 p.m.
Wake County has 2,017 customers without power. Durham County has 2,358 and Orange County has 5,673 without electricity. There are still no estimates for restoration.

2:44 p.m.
Although the worst of the day trip to winter appears to be over, Gov. Roy Cooper is urging North Carolinians to exercise caution during the rest of the day.

“It’s better to stay off the road right now in many areas, but if you must drive, stay alert, reduce your speed and turn around if you encounter flooded roads,” said Cooper.

Hazardous weather is expected to continue for a few more hours before conditions improve in most areas later this afternoon. Though the threat of severe storms has ended, strong winds and coastal flooding will continue along the coast through tonight. Hazardous driving conditions could redevelop later tonight and Tuesday morning as black ice can form as temperatures will fall well below freezing.

To stay safe during severe weather, stay tuned to your local weather forecast and have a way to receive weather alerts, such as the ABC11 mobile app.

Statewide about 175,000 utility customers were without power at noon, Cooper said.

Guilford, Forsyth and Mecklenburg counties were reporting some of the largest outages.

Snow is on the ground or falling and temperatures are near or below freezing in some western counties and in counties along the Virginia border.

TIMELINE

Heavy rain, flash flooding and lots of lightning and thunder greeted people in central North Carolina when they woke up Monday morning.

The storms dumped several inches of rain in and around the Triangle. The first round of heavy rain pushed north and east of the Triangle by 8 a.m.

Freezing cold air then rushed into the area, dropping temperatures below freezing starting in places near the NC-Virginia border like Roxboro. That’s where the snow started falling first.

Wake County saw the rain stop around 8 a.m. But by 11 a.m. snow had started falling instead.

The snow continued for a couple of hours, mostly ending before 2 p.m. Flurries are still possible here and there for the rest of the day, but the heaviest of the snow is over.

Temperatures will now remain extremely cold. Lows will drop into the low 20s and even some teens overnight. Tuesday the cold will remain, with highs just getting into the mid-40s.

As for travel conditions, the ground temperatures remain quite warm because of the record heat just days ago. So much of the ABC11 viewing area will not be dealing with significant accumulation.

Still, be careful if you must drive. The roads will definitely be slick (possibly even flooded) and could even freeze in elevated areas.

Areas in and around the Triangle will likely not see much accumulation at all. Areas north of Durham could see dusting develop, especially on raised surfaces. Areas around the North Carolina-Virginia border could see an inch or so of accumulation.

POWER OUTAGES

The rain and wind knocked out power to thousands of people in the Triangle.

Duke Energy said the strong wind gusts were the main culprit of the power outages.

“We’ll be working throughout the day, unfortunately, I think to get these outages repaired,” Jeff Brooks said.

ROAD CONDITIONS & STORM DAMAGE

The flash flooding Monday wreaked havoc on roadways.

The roads that did not flood were slick, causing drivers to need to slow down or risk losing control of their vehicles.

First responders across the area worked quickly to respond to traffic problems and to help motorists navigate the conditions.

IMPACT

In preparation for the potential weather, Orange County Schools opted to cancel classes and all school-related activities.

“Due to a high potential for a variety of inclement weather situations, including high winds, sleet and snow, all OCS schools and buildings will be closed Monday, January 3, 2022,” read a statement from the school district.

Remote learning is also canceled for Orange County Schools on Monday.

Chapel-Hill Carrboro City Schools announced at 5:30 Monday morning that classes would go on as scheduled, but after-school activities would all be canceled Monday. Then at 6 a.m., the school district updated its decision, opting instead to cancel all classes.

Franklin County Schools also decided to cancel classes, citing flash flooding and potential power outages.

See the full school closings list here.

Gov. Roy Cooper issued a statement Sunday afternoon urging North Carolinians to stay aware of the local weather forecast and prepare for any expected conditions.

“It’s important to stay informed of changing weather conditions, and to have a way to receive weather alerts,” Cooper said. “A little preparation before severe or winter weather arrives can help avoid inconveniences and emergencies later.”