Light snow spares Triangle roads, different story farther north

A light snow dusted the Triangle Thursday, mostly sparing roads but providing a picturesque distraction.

Parts of Durham reported more than an inch as the sun rose, while downtown Raleigh settled for a thin coating over the trees and grass and only a light slush on the roads. Garbage can lids, a time-tested snow gauge, showed roughly an inch around the Capitol.

Farther north, Roxboro Police Chief David Hess reported 3 inches of fast-falling snow and seven crashes since midnight. A winter storm warning had been issued for Person, Granville and other counties north of the Triangle, where the National Weather Service reported up to 3 or 4 inches could fall. Social media post showed flurries falling as far south as Bladen County.

But by sunrise, the region’s slight accumulation had already started melting.

Still, pent-up children tackled muddy hills on sleds, and in Chapel Hill, at least one student attempted a ski run.

ABC 11 meteorologist Don “Big Weather” Shwenneker said precipitation started moving past the region starting at 5 a.m. Fat flakes continued to fall in the pre-dawn hours, but they mostly vanished into puddles. By 6:45 a.m., the National Weather Service showed the snow band moving east of Interstate 95.

The Triangle awoke with lawns coated white and, in some cases, more ominous weather. One New Hill resident, Allie Twiford, tweeted flashes of “thundersnow.”

Roads remained clear but slick as the Orange County Sheriff’s Office reported a tractor-trailer stuck on Interstate 40 near the 270 mile marker. Durham County’s sheriff reported no traffic issues.

“That doesn’t mean you don’t need to be cautious,” the sheriff’s office posted on its Facebook page. “If you’re heading out on the roads this morning you’ll still need to take it slow because there could be icy spots especially around bridges and overpasses.”

Preliminary totals reported by ABC 11 at 5:30 a.m. included 4 inches in Roxboro, 2.5 inches in Youngsville, 1.3 inches in Gorman and 1 inch in Lucama.

However, drier air was expected by 7 a.m. to shut off the wintry precipitation with temperatures rising to around 39 degrees, melting much of the snow.

The heaviest snow was centered along the Interstate 95 corridor in the pre-dawn hours, the National Weather Service reported.

“Areas across southern central NC are still seeing rain or a rain/snow mix, however all snow is falling north of Fayetteville and Albemarle,” the NWS said in a tweet.

Students were already homebound in Wake and Durham counties, participating in online classes due to COVID-19 concerns. But Wake students will study on an “asynchronous” schedule Thursday, meaning they work on their own, while Durham expected online classes at normal times.

This story was originally published January 28, 2021 at 5:45 AM.