Snow arrives in the Triangle

The expected winter storm has moved in, with snow falling over most of the Triangle. And it's expected to pick up intensity through the night and in the early morning Saturday, according to Barrett Smith, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Raleigh.

At 6:55pm, as the first flakes began to fall in Cary, 63 brave souls stood in line at the Blockbuster store at 1201 Northwest Maynard Road, clutching movies and games that will help pass the time if they are snowed in.

They may need more movies.

Meteorologists say the Triangle could get 7 to 10 inches of snow over the next 48 hours.

The snow may mix with sleet and freezing rain and change back to snow by Saturday afternoon, Smith said.

It's tricky determining the exact amount of snowfall, Smith said, because he doesn't know how much sleet and freezing rain will fall. More sleet equals less snow, he said.

"It's still in question, but it looks like a significant winter weather storm," he said.

Smith said areas around the Virginia border could get 12 to 15 inches of snow.

Meanwhile, officials at Raleigh-Durham International Airport said most all early morning departing flights on Saturday have been canceled.

"While airlines are currently planning on resuming flights late tomorrow morning and early afternoon, passengers with travel plans this weekend are advised to contact their airline to confirm the status of their flight as more cancellations may occur," airport officials said in a news release Friday afternoon.

The airport will remain open during the storm, they said, and most airline ticket counters will be open during normal operating hours. A few airlines have modified their schedules: Continental airline will open at 8 a.m. on Saturday, while AirTran and JetBlue will open at 9 a.m.

Travelers can keep up with the news from RDU at twitter.com/rduairport for updates on airport operations.