Triangle could see up to 5 inches of snow by Saturday, as latest winter storm looms
This time, the snow isn’t fooling around.
Forecasters say a winter storm will start as rain Thursday in the Triangle, then build into the familiar wintry mix Thursday night. Things will then kick into gear Friday and dump as much as 5 inches by Saturday morning.
“My confidence for us being covered in white is high,” said Steve Stewart, ABC11 meteorologist.
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for all of central North Carolina. And the Triangle sits in the heart of it, bracing for the second winter blast in less than a week.
Ahead of the storm, Gov. Roy Cooper signed a state of emergency to help with the response and seeking federal assistance with the back-to-back storms.
“This state of emergency will waive some transportation regulations to allow for quicker storm preparation and response and power restoration,” Cooper said in a statement. “North Carolinians should prepare today for this storm and make sure they have any medications, food and emergency equipment they may need over the next few days.”
Cooper and other state emergency management officials are scheduled to hold a press conference Thursday on upcoming inclement weather. The 3 p.m. update will be streamed at https://www.ncdps.gov/news-conference.
Thursday’s rain will turn into a wintry mix overnight as an Arctic cold front moves in.
“There will be an accumulation of something,” said meteorologist Gail Hartfield, describing Friday morning, “but it won’t be a lot.”
‘The colder the air, the fluffier the snow’
Friday offers a short break, but through the afternoon and beyond sundown the snow could fall 3 to 4 inches deep in an area stretching to Roanoke Rapids, by the weather service’s gauge. Stewart called for a possible extra inch, and even more to the northeast.
Normally, Stewart said, the Triangle’s proximity to the ocean gives it a disadvantage snow-wise. But this time, the low-pressure system is staying farther offshore, and the air moving this way is Arctic cold.
“The colder the air,” he said, “the fluffier the snow.”
Further southeast, Garner and Clayton might see a little more freezing rain and develop icy road problems.
With temperatures in the 20s Friday and dipping into the teens overnight, then barely poking above freezing on Saturday, whatever has accumulated won’t quickly vanish.
Sledding options will depend on where you can walk to.
“If you can get out,” Hartfield said. “Wouldn’t recommend driving anywhere.”
School plan for bad weather
Families are waiting for news Thursday about whether schools will be canceled or delayed on Friday due to the oncoming storm.
In Wake County, the district notified families that participants in school activities need to be off campus by 8 p.m. Thursday.
“This information is being shared to help schools and families adjust schedules as needed in advance,” Wake said on its website. “We will continue to review forecasts through Thursday morning in case all events need to be canceled. A decision about school operations on Friday will be released tomorrow.”
And in Durham County, after-school activities are canceled for Durham Public Schools, including extracurricular activities, sports, after-school care and ENCORE.
Durham school officials also are advising students to bring home their computers.
Staff writer T. Keung Hui contributed to this report.
This story was originally published January 19, 2022 at 10:29 AM.