When will we start to see snow in the Triangle, and how much? Here’s the latest
The Triangle is gearing up to see snow starting Thursday afternoon.
A winter weather advisory has been issued from 10 a.m. Thursday to 7 a.m. Friday for much of the Triad and central North Carolina, according to the National Weather Service.
The Raleigh-Durham area is expected to see 2 to 3 inches of snow, with the potential for up to 5 inches, the weather service says.
Forecasters say rain could turn into or mix with snow during the day Thursday. The line of wintry weather is expected to move south, hitting the Triangle in the afternoon, the weather service says.
Snow has the potential to reach Raleigh after 3 p.m. and Durham after 4 p.m., forecasters say.
Wintry weather is possible for much of central North Carolina by 5 p.m., and slick roads could impact evening commutes, according to the weather service.
Into the night, there’s a potential for “moderate to heavy” snow, according to forecasters.
Roads could become slick starting Thursday afternoon, especially near and north of U.S. 64, according to officials. In Raleigh, overnight lows could dip into into the 20s, according to officials.
Traffic impacts could continue until Friday morning for areas with ice or snow accumulation, forecasters say. Temperatures should get above freezing by the afternoon, the National Weather Service says.
Gov. Roy Cooper’s office said in a press release Wednesday that emergency management personnel and the State Highway Patrol are adjusting work schedules in preparation for the weather. The N.C. Department of Transportation has salt stocks and spreaders ready for snow, the governor’s office said, but won’t pretreat roads because of the expected rain.
In response to the forecast, local school systems announced closures and early dismissals.
Chapel Hill-Carrboro, Durham and Orange districts closed for students on Thursday, The News & Observer reported.
Johnston and Wake schools said they plan to end classes three hours early.
In Western North Carolina, there’s potential for 1 inch or more of snow accumulation in the Charlotte area on Thursday afternoon, The Charlotte Observer reported.
Areas to the north and east of the Triangle, including Franklin and Nash counties, are under a winter storm warning from 10 a.m. Thursday to 7 a.m. Friday. The warning means “a significant combination of hazardous weather is occurring or imminent,” according to the National Weather Service.
Up to 6 inches of snowfall is expected to hit Greenville, Kinston and cities in Eastern North Carolina, with less snow predicted for the coast, forecasters say.
The Triangle hasn’t seen measurable snow since December 2018, which means the area is in a “snow drought,” a meteorologist with the National Weather Service told McClatchy News earlier this month.
The region averages 7.9 inches of snow each year, according to the weather service.
This story was originally published February 19, 2020 at 7:14 AM.
