Raleigh, N.C. — Freezing rain and snow are already falling in the Triangle, and a long day of power outages and icy conditions could be ahead.
What to know
- Gov. Roy Cooper will provide an update at noon. You can watch on WRAL-TV anywhere you stream WRAL News.
- Ice will be the biggest threat over the next 24 hours, with power outages and slick, treacherous roads likely across the viewing area.
- Up to 2 inches of snow and 0.5 inches of ice could fall northwest of the Triangle, especially as far north as Roxboro. Snow accumulation will be very unlikely in the Triangle and in areas south of Interstate 85.
- Where snow does fall, changeover to freezing rain will quickly occur. By mid-afternoon, when temperatures warm up, everyone will see rain.
- A winter storm warning is in effect for the Triangle and areas to the northwest, including Raleigh, Durham and Sanford. Areas to the east are under a winter weather advisory.
- Road conditions will be slick and drivers are encouraged to stay home if possible, especially for the first half of Sunday.
- More than 150 flight cancellations have been reported at Raleigh-Durham International Airport.
- Thousands are without power west of the Triangle. Outages will be worst southwest of Raleigh.
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Snow-ice updates
9:30 a.m.: Drivers in Raleigh and across the Triangle will have to watch for slush and icy spots if they are on the roads this morning. Even on major routes like Interstate 40, slick spots and crashes have been reported. Thankfully, many people are staying off the roads.
Conditions will get more treacherous northwest of Raleigh, with roads in Durham and Chapel Hill more covered in frozen precipitation. Drivers should especially pay attention to bridges and secondary roads.
9:00 a.m.: At this point, the line of snow is north of Durham. There is one-third of an inch of snow on the ground in Durham, but that area has now changed over to freezing rain, according to WRAL meteorolgist Elizabeth Gardner. In Roxboro, snow is still falling, but later this morning everyone will change over to rain.
WRAL’s exclusive dual-pol radar helps clearly identify rain vs. snow vs. sleet, giving us the opportunity to detect the size, shape and variety of the droplets and distinguish between different types of winter precipitation.
A warm front will surge northward this afternoon, helping to improve road conditions. At noon, areas southeast of the Triangle will be above freezing, Gardner said, and by 2 p.m. the Triangle will be above freezing. Raleigh will be in the 40s and 50s by 4 p.m.
From the Triangle northward snow is on the ground, Gardner said, but areas below that won’t see snow if they haven’t already.
8:45 a.m.: Thousands of power outages have been reported, most west of the Triangle, including 1,000 in Southern Pines and 2,000 in Charlotte. A power pole has come down on Clayton Road in Durham County, and more outages are expected throughout the morning as freezing rain builds on tree branches and power lines.
Duke Energy has brought in thousands of workers from across the country to help restore power to customers quickly.
8:30 a.m.: A quick changeover to sleet is occuring along Wake, Durham, Chatham and Franklin counties. Everything south of the transistion line is freezing rain and everything north of it is snow. “We’re definitely seeing our cameras icing up,” said Elizabeth Gardner.
8:15 a.m.: “You just need to stay home,” said WRAL meteorolgist Aimee Wilmoth, who noticed slick conditions on Interstate 40 near U.S. 70 in Raleigh and saw two cars slide into each other. WRAL reporter Amanda Lamb also noticed icy spots on I-40 and I-440 in Raleigh. Highway 54 in Carrboro was covered in light snow, prompting the Orange County Sheriff’s Office to tell people to stay home.
8:00 a.m.: Road conditions are deteriorating north and west of Raleigh, according to WRAL’s Brian Shrader, and the NCDOT has started brining bridges that pose a greater risk. Conditions look widely different across the Triangle, with just a dusting of snow in Raleigh compared to snowy white surfaces in Chapel Hill.
7:40 a.m.: While roads in Raleigh are mostly clear, snow is covering roads in Durham and Chapel Hill. In Chapel Hill especially, viewers were sending WRAL News photos of beautiful snow scenes. Unfortuantely, this will be more of an ice storm, with freezing rain moving in for just about everyone by lunchtime. Roxboro will see the greatest accumulation, where 2 to 3 inches of snow are expected at most.
Road conditions are expecetd to get worse throughout the morning as freezing rain falls and road surfaces stay cold.
7:15 a.m.: The best chance for power outages will be from the Triangle to the southwest, Gardner said, and the cold temperatures below freezing are a concern for any drivers. “Just stay home if you can,” she said. In the Triangle, temperatures are expected to remain below freezing until lunchtime. After noon, ice on roads and surfaces could start melting.
Winds are expected to gust as high as 40 mph at times on Sunday. With ice on power lines and trees, this could also lead to power outages.
6:45 a.m.: Around 150 flights are canceled at Raleigh-Durham International Airport. Southwest has canceled operations for the day, and other airlines are holding flights until at least mid-afternoon, according to Stephanie Hawco from RDU, who said snow was falling heavily at the airport.
The runways were treated before the storm hit, and crews will be on the ground assessing conditions today, so it’s possible some flights could resume in the afternoon.
An icy glaze is covering surfaces like cars and grass across central North Carolin. Once the glaze is on trees and power lines, outages will begin, with counties southwest of the Triangle most at risk.
Warmth will lift northward this morning, and if you’ve already seen a changeover to sleet and freezing rain at this point, you probably won’t see more snow, WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner said.
6:30 a.m.: Slippery roads will be a threat later this morning, but right now roads are just very wet, according to WRAL’s Brian Shrader and reporters stationed across the viewing area. Bridges could become icy first, so if you must be on the roads, drive slowly and pay close attention to conditions.
6:00 a.m.: Light snowflakes are falling at WRAL-TV, creating a white dusting on the bee hives on the roof of the station, and flurries are spotted all across the Triangle. A cold, bitter wind and a light wintry mix is falling in Fayetteville, and some rain was already freezing on the tops of cars in Southern Pines in Moore County. You can check out live cameras from across the state here.
Temperatures are in the upper 20s in Raleigh and below freezing across the entire area, so any rain or snow that falls could cause slippery conditions or stick to power lines, creating outages. Drivers are encouraged to stay home if possible.
Some people will see snow, mostly northwest of the Triangle. The snow will fall early Sunday morning before transitioning to a rain-freezing rain-sleet mix by lunchtime.
Saturday 10 p.m. update: Tracking road conditions
If you want to catch any snow, you’ll need to wake up early Sunday morning. This snow will transition to freezing rain and sleet for much of central North Carolina by late morning.
Ice accumulations are likely, and roads may be hard to travel on throughout the morning and early afternoon.
We will start to see a transition to rain between noon and 3 p.m. in the Triangle as temperatures could get above freezing.
Roads will also begin to warm later into the afternoon, giving much needed relief to the icy conditions.
However, refreezing will likely occur overnight Sunday.
Saturday 4 p.m. update: Winter weather incoming
A winter storm warning goes into effect late Saturday and continues through Sunday. Highs in the upper 30s-mid 40s.
Saturday afternoon there is a slight chance for a sprinkle or maybe a sleet pellet.
A shield of sleet and freezing rain enter our southern counties around 4AM, and then shift northward through the morning Sunday.
A winter weather advisory is in place for counties east of Raleigh due to the chance for freezing rain and strong wind gusts. In Fayetteville and Lumberton, winds could gust up to 40 miles per hour. That, in combination with ice, will likely cause power outages.
Saturday 12 p.m. update: Cooper warns to stay off roads on Sunday, Monday
“This storm is a menace,” said Cooper. “As much as a foot of snow is expected to fall in the mountains and foothills.”
Cooper asked that residents stay off the roads on Sunday and Monday unless absolutely necessary. In central North Carolina, ice and wind is expected to bring down trees and powerlines, which makes for dangerous driving conditions. Cooper said they are prepared to open shelters and warming centers if power is out for a long period.
Emergency Management Chief of Staff Don Campbell asked that people only call 911 for life-threatening events. To report a power outage, reach out to your provider.
North Carolina Department of Transportation has spread more than 2 million gallons of brine on North Carolina roads to prep for ice and snow.
“We are doing our part, but we need everyone else to do their part too,” said Eric Boyette, secretary of the department of transportation. “Please stay at home.”
Boyette also said that their staff has been impacted by COVID-19 and staffing shortages, which means the department of transportation may not be able to respond to areas of need as quick as they previously could. He asked that the public be patient, stay calm and be prepared for the storm.
“Slow down and keep a watch out for crews and first responders working,” said Colonel Freddy L. Johnson, Jr. commander of the State Highway Patrol.