Snow flurries, sleet begin across Triangle. Some schools delayed or canceled Monday
Snow flurries began falling in central North Carolina on Sunday afternoon, a prelude to an oncoming winter storm that could make travel difficult in some places, particularly north of the Triangle.
The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory for counties along the Virginia border, warning that roads, and especially bridges and overpasses, “will likely become slick and hazardous” from midnight Sunday through noon Monday. Another advisory that covers Durham and Orange counties warned of freezing rain through 7 a.m. Monday.
The advisories prompted school officials in Person and Vance counties to call off classes for students on Monday, while Franklin County will have a two-hour delay.
Orange County Schools announced Sunday evening that it would start two hours late on Monday because of icy conditions expected in the northern part of the county. Durham County Schools will also start on a two-hour delay.
The weather service had forecast a mix of rain and freezing rain Sunday afternoon, with the freezing portion most likely closer to the Virginia state line.
Temperatures are expected to dip to around freezing Sunday night in most of the Triangle, creating the potential for frozen precipitation. After a cold, rainy day Monday, there’s a slight chance of snow on the back end of the storm Monday night, said Tom Green, a weather service meteorologist.
“We could end up seeing some snowflakes falling,” Green said. “But we’re not expecting much in the way of accumulation.”
Arctic blast
Accuweather forecasters sent out an email Thursday warning of a moisture-rich storm system moving across the country from the west that could complicate things, creating the possibility for ice and snow in the North Carolina mountains and along the Virginia border nearly to the coast.
The National Weather Service doesn’t make specific local forecasts more than seven days out because they’re unreliable. But its Climate Prediction Center forecasts trends up to several months ahead.
But as of last week, the forecast for Jan. 9-15 shows a 90% chance of below-average temperatures across North Carolina, meaning highs mostly in the upper 30s to mid-40s through the period.
This story was originally published January 4, 2025 at 11:41 AM.