Snow blankets Triangle as NC urged to be cautious with extreme cold, icy roads
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Wake County and some central areas saw 2–3 inches, not uniform across central NC.
- NWS issued Cold and Winter Weather Advisories as wind chills plunged near −5°F.
- Widespread travel disruptions statewide; not fully halted, amid 1,000+ crashes.
Across central North Carolina on Saturday evening, many snow lovers were dismayed as they looked out their windows.
But as night fell, flakes began falling lightly, then picked up speed considerably.
By Sunday morning, many in Wake County awoke to a blanket of fresh snow totaling 2 to 3 inches, according to the National Weather Service.
Along with the snow came dangerously cold temperatures. Wind chills are expected to make it feel as cold as 5 degrees below zero across the Triangle on Sunday morning. That extreme cold was expected to last until about 10 a.m. But with a high temperature of about 31 on Sunday, don’t expect the snow to melt until at least Monday.
Bookmark this page and check back often for the latest information, including anything we know about power outages, road conditions, flight cancellations and more. Have an update we should know about? Email metroeds@newsobserver.com.
Updated list of closings
7:30 p.m. Sunday: Many, but not all, government agencies are closed in the Triangle. Some buses will be running Monday, while others remain off the roads. Go here for the latest updates on what’s open and closed.
More college, K-12 cancellations
4:40 p.m. Sunday: UNC-Chapel Hill, NC Central University and Duke University have joined NC State in cancelling classes Monday due to weather. Among local K-12 districts, Wake County and Chatham County will be closed Monday, and Johnston County and Chapel Hill-Carrboro have announced Monday will be a remote learning day. See all Triangle school updates here.
Snerd misses big moment for Groundhog Day
4:10 p.m. Sunday: The town of Garner has canceled its Groundhog Day celebration on Monday, meaning a missed opportunity for one of North Carolina’s few marmot weather forecasters. The town's version of Punxsutawney Phil is named Snerd, and he’s one of the few animals in the greater Triangle asked to predict more winter or early spring after Sir Walter Wally, Raleigh’s renowned groundhog, retired a few years ago.
The sun is out, the snow has stopped, but...
2:45 p.m. Sunday: ... the weather advisories continue. The National Weather Service has issued a Cold Weather Advisory for Central North Carolina (including the entire Triangle) starting at 7 p.m. Sunday and continuing through 9 a.m. Monday. Wind chill temperatures are expected to drop into the low single digits, and the NWS advises people wear warm layers when outside.
A Winter Weather Advisory was also issued for the region through 10 a.m. tomorrow. “Snow accumulations from Saturday will remain in place and hazardous travel will persist,” the NWS wrote. “Additionally, cold morning temperatures will allow any moisture or snow on roads, bridges, and overpasses to re-freeze tonight.”
Gov. Josh Stein urges caution. Travel and transit disrupted.
1 p.m. Sunday: Gov. Josh Stein urged North Carolinians during a virtual update to stay off the roads and stay warm as snow blanketed all 100 counties, calling it a rare statewide event and saying he hoped children could safely enjoy the snow. Even major roads and interstates in the Triangle remained covered Sunday.
More than 1,000 crashes were reported statewide, including a pileup that trapped more than 100 cars and trucks for hours on Interstate 85 near Kannapolis. Two people were killed in crashes, Stein said.
Travel and transit disruptions spread across the state. Several flights have been canceled, Triangle transit systems parked their buses Saturday and remained suspended Sunday, and some passenger trains were canceled while others operated on a partial schedule. All state ferry service was suspended Sunday morning.
Duke Energy requests power conservation
11:24 a.m. Sunday: More than 5,100 Duke Energy customers across North Carolina are without power Sunday morning, and company officials are requesting residents conserve energy to lower demands on the power supplies.
Specifically, the company asks customers to conserve energy between 4 a.m. and 10 a.m. by setting thermostats to the lowest comfortable settings, avoiding use of electric ovens, stove tops, dishwashers, washing machines and dryers, electronics and space heaters. They also request turning off unnecessary appliances and lights.
Those with electric cars are being asked to charge during midday.
To stay warm the power company requests opening blinds and curtains during daylight hours and wearing extra layers.
An email that went out to Duke Energy customers said there is an unusually high demand for energy across the East Coast because temperatures are 10 to 20 degrees lower than normal.
Across North Carolina, 5,185 customers remained without power just before 11:30 a.m., after the snow storm barreled through the state.
Much of those outages remain on the western side of the state, particularly around Asheville and Hendersonville.
There’s around 242 customers without power in and around the Triangle including in Durham, Rolesville and Goldsboro. All three locations are estimated to have their power restored by 2 p.m. or before.
Businesses and government offices closed, transit halted
10:50 a.m. Sunday: Because of the winter storm, many businesses and government offices are closed Sunday and, in some cases, part of Monday. That does not include essential services in Wake County. EMS, the Sheriff’s Office, emergency management and fire services will remain operational, though response times may be delayed.
Most bus service and many Amtrak trains have also been canceled.
Snowfall totals
10:30 a.m. Sunday: Snowfall totals varied widely across North Carolina after the winter storm, ranging from a few inches in the Triangle to more than a foot in parts of the coast, the Piedmont and western counties. One area saw nearly two feet of snow.
Raleigh saw lighter snowfall, with snow arriving late Saturday and totaling about 2 to 3 inches by Sunday morning, according to the NWS.
In other parts of the state, snowfall began earlier and resulted in higher totals, though accumulations varied significantly. Snow totals ranged from 6 to 12 inches across the Charlotte metro area. The coast and western North Carolina recorded some of the highest accumulations, with Wolf Laurel — a mountain resort community in Madison and Yancey counties near the Tennessee border — reporting 22.5 inches Sunday morning.
Lexington reported about 11 inches near downtown and up to 16 inches along Raeford Avenue in the city’s southwest area.
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The forecast: What can we expect Sunday and Monday?
8:20 a.m. Sunday: No more snow is expected Sunday into early next week.
But it will likely stick around for a bit, with bitterly cold temperatures expected today and tonight, according to the latest NWS briefing.
There is an extreme cold warning until 10 a.m. for much of central North Carolina, as well as several other parts of the state. Many areas were hit with heavy snowfall, particularly along the coast, where Ocean Isle Beach in Brunswick County reported about 15 inches.
Wind chills are expected to make it feel as cold as 5 degrees below zero across the Triangle on Sunday morning.
In Raleigh, the high temperature Sunday is expected to reach 30 degrees, with a low of 11.
The cold opens the potential for black ice into Monday, with overnight lows in the single digits to lower teens. Black ice may form in areas where slush and snowmelt refreeze. Travel will be hazardous because of the snow and black ice possibility, says the NWS.
Other parts of the state are also seeing extreme cold, particularly in Western North Carolina. Boone is expected to reach a high of 14 degrees, with a low of 7 on Sunday.
On Monday, temperatures will rise slightly but remain cold, with a high of 40 degrees in Raleigh and a low of 22. Temperatures are not expected to rise above freezing until Monday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.
Snow finally reaches Raleigh. How much might fall?
7 p.m. Saturday: Very light snow has begun falling in Raleigh after blanketing the western Triangle Saturday afternoon.
The National Weather Service predicts up to 3 inches of snow in the capital city, with the flakes expected to fall until about 3 a.m.
The forecast: What can we expect Saturday night and Sunday?
5:36 p.m. Saturday: Snow could still arrive in parts of Wake County through early Sunday morning, according to the latest NWS briefing.
Up to 2 inches of snow fell in Orange and Durham counties, and parts of western Wake County on Saturday afternoon. That’s not been the case in the eastern Triangle, which had seen very little as of Saturday evening.
Still, the latest forecast (5:01 p.m.) says Wake County could see 3 inches and Orange and Durham counties 1-2 more inches of snow through about 3 a.m. Sunday.
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol now says there have been 800 collisions and another 800 calls for service this weekend, Sgt. Christopher Knox told ABC11, The News & Observer’s newsgathering partner. No fatal wrecks have been reported.
Unlike last weekend’s storm, this is a very windy storm with gusts of 25 to 40 mph, which could result in potential brief blizzard conditions and drifting snow.
Dangerously cold wind chills have prompted an extreme cold warning between 1 and 10 a.m. Sunday. Wind chills will likely remain in the single digits to teens until Monday afternoon.
“Frostbite and hypothermia will occur if unprotected skin is exposed to these temperatures,” the NWS says. “An extended period of freezing temperatures could cause ruptured water pipes.”
Child rescued from iced-over pond in Holly Springs
4:16 p.m. Saturday: An 11-year-old boy was rescued from an iced-over pond at Womble Park by a Holly Springs police officer. Read about the rescue here.
Charlotte, Mecklenburg County have had it worse
Saturday afternoon: The Charlotte area could see 7 to 13 inches of snow by the storm’s end Sunday morning. The weather caused havoc in the air — with over 1,100 flight disruptions at Charlotte Douglas International Airport — and on the ground, with State Highway Patrol handling 340 wrecks through noon. Read the latest about the storm’s impact there.
Wake County plans to resume services, library, Sunday
4:02 p.m. Saturday: Wake County announces it plans to resume all services, including libraries, solid waste convenience centers, and parks at noon Sunday. Athens Drive Community Library will remain closed as long as Wake County Public Schools are closed. If conditions deteriorate overnight, the decision will be reevaluated in the morning.
Dozens show up at Wake County emergency shelter
3:58 p.m. Saturday: About 25 people had arrived at Wake County’s emergency shelter at Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School on Rock Quarry Road. Most were from “white flag” shelters, where beds are added during cold weather for people experiencing homelessness. A county spokesperson said they’re expecting about 70 people total at the shelter.
Snow has come to Durham and Orange, parts of Wake still waiting
2:30 p.m. Saturday: Enough snow is falling on parts of Interstate 40 and I-85 near Hillsborough to impact visibility on the roads, according to the NWS. Snow has also come to parts of western Wake County.
NWS Raleigh meteorologist Nick Petro pushed back on the characterization of the Raleigh area as a “dry slot,” noting that the Triangle has plenty of moisture in the atmosphere. The difference is that the eastern and western parts of the state have surface and upper-level low pressure systems, both which create a strong lifting mechanism. That lift carries air into the atmosphere which returns as snow.
It could be roughly one or two hours before the upper-level low system in the west covers all the Triangle, Petro said. But it’s unclear how much lift — and, therefore, snow — the system will bring with it.
Hundreds of winter storm collisions
1:35 p.m. Saturday: There have been 340 winter storm-related collisions and 370 calls for service across the state from midnight to noon Saturday, according to the North Carolina Highway Patrol. There have been zero reported weather-related fatal collisions.
Officials have urged people to stay off the roads. But, if you have to drive, read these tips about how to navigate hazardous conditions.
You can check road conditions by visiting drivenc.gov, and you can read more about how local and state highway departments have prepared streets in advance of this winter storm.
Triangle likely to remain in the ‘dry slot’
1:15 p.m. Saturday: It is unlikely that the Triangle will reach its expected snowfall of 4 inches, NWS Raleigh meteorologist Nick Petro said at a 1 p.m. briefing. Petro didn’t rule the possibility out, but few locations in the Triangle have recorded any snow accumulation, and NWS forecasts now estimate Raleigh will see just over 3 inches.
Read more from The N&O on why the Triangle is stuck in the dreaded dry slot again.
Where is the snow?
11:30 a.m. Saturday: Except for those who live along or east of I-95 or in western parts of Orange County, much of the Triangle has seen only a few ephemeral flurries so far. The NWS has yet to record any measurable snowfall anywhere in the Triangle, save for 0.8 inches in Rougemont and half an inch in Efland.
The NWS’ radar has snow showers in most of western North Carolina, the Charlotte metro area, the Triad, and eastern N.C., but bands of snow have yet to reach central N.C. NWS Raleigh meteorologist Nick Petro said the longer that trend holds, the more likely the Triangle will see the low end of snowfall — less than 2 inches.
Upper-level low pressure south of Southern Pines may rotate up to the Triangle and bring snow with it, Petro said.
Wake and Orange counties open emergency shelters
10:45 a.m. Saturday: Wake County will open Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School (2600 Rock Quarry Road) at 2 p.m. Saturday as an emergency shelter. The shelter is pet-friendly. For those experiencing homelessness, White Flag shelters will be available at:
- First Baptist Church, 99 N. Salisbury St., Raleigh — Primary overnight shelter for women
- Haven House Women’s Center, 1008 Bullard Court, Raleigh — Overflow shelter for women
- South Wilmington Street Center, 1420 S. Wilmington St., Raleigh — Primary overnight shelter for men
- Oak City Cares, 1430 S. Wilmington St., Raleigh — Overflow shelter for men
- Salvation Army, 1863 Capital Blvd., Raleigh — Shelter for families
Orange County announced that the usual Cold Weather Shelter open at 828 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. will instead be at the Seymour Center (2551 Homestead Road, Chapel Hill). The Seymour Center will also serve as a warming center. It will be open until 7 a.m. Monday.
Winter weather on the NC coast
10:30 a.m. Snow is expected on the North Carolina coast, with the Outer Banks expected to see significant totals.
Normally, we check out the beach cams to monitor hurricane conditions. Now’s a time watch the snow fall near the ocean.
- Outer Banks: Twiddy & Company Vacation Rentals
- Emerald Isle: Bogue Inlet Pier
- Carolina Beach: Tony Silvagni Surf School
- Corolla Light Resort
- Kitty Hawk Pier
- Nags Head Fishing Pier
- Nags Head: Jennette’s Pier
- Ocean Isle Inn
Storm-related closings and cancellations in the Triangle
10:20 a.m. Saturday: Most government offices and facilities are shut down and major events are canceled.
Keep up with these closings here. The list will be updated through the weekend. Have a closing we should know about? Email metroeds@newsobserver.com.
Updated forecast: When will the snow come?
10 a.m. Saturday: Snow in central North Carolina will reach 4 to 8 inches, with patches of local areas potentially seeing higher amounts.
Raleigh is expected to see 4 to 6 inches — several inches less than what was in Friday’s forecast — while Durham may see 4 inches of snow. Flurries are currently concentrated in Johnston County, eastern parts of Wake County and parts of Orange County.
The NWS currently forecasts that most parts of the Triangle should start seeing snow around 10 a.m., with snowfall eclipsing 4 inches in Raleigh by Sunday morning at 1 a.m. The chance of snow reaching 6 inches or more range from 41% in Durham to 48% in Raleigh.
Snow showers will continue through midnight Saturday and will move out of the Triangle by 6 a.m. Sunday.
Temperatures are expected to stay below freezing all weekend, with a high of 23 degrees in Raleigh on Saturday afternoon and a low of 15 degrees Saturday night, according to the NWS. Sunday afternoon will be slightly warmer with a high of 30 degrees, but temperatures will plummet to 13 degrees Sunday night.
Wind gusts of 30 to 40 mph are expected, and some infrequent gusts could reach as high as 45 mph, bringing wind chills as low as minus 5 degrees Sunday morning, according to the NWS. The strongest gusts will be concentrated at the I-95 corridor, where brief blizzard conditions are possible. A winter storm warning remains in effect until midday Sunday.
Duke Energy reporting very few power outages
9:05 a.m. Saturday: Duke Energy has reported very few storm-related power outages as of Saturday morning.
About 160 customers were without power in Harnett County at 9 a.m., and service is expected to be restored by 12:45 p.m., according to the Duke Energy outage map.
A handful of people in Morrisville were briefly without power, but Duke expected to have their service restored by 9:30 a.m.
Triangle forecast: The day’s predictions
8:50 a.m. Saturday: The latest NWS forecast predicts that snow in central North Carolina will reach 4 to 8 inches, with patches of local areas potentially seeing higher amounts. Raleigh is expected to see 4 to 6 inches — several inches less than what was in Friday’s forecast — while Durham may see 4 inches of snow.
The NWS currently forecasts that most parts of the Triangle should start seeing snow around 10 a.m., with snowfall eclipsing 4 inches in Raleigh by Sunday morning at 1 a.m.
Temperatures are expected to stay below freezing all weekend, with a high of 23 degrees in Raleigh on Saturday afternoon and a low of 15 degrees Saturday night, according to the NWS. Sunday afternoon will be slightly warmer with a high of 30 degrees, but temperatures will plummet to 13 degrees Sunday night.
Wind gusts of could reach as high as 40 mph, bringing wind chills as low as minus 5 degrees Sunday morning, according to the NWS. A winter storm warning remains in effect until midday Sunday.
Triangle forecast: What to expect Friday night
4 p.m. Friday: In the Triangle, the latest forecast shows 8 to 10 inches of snow expected in Raleigh and 6 to 8 inches in Durham. At this point, meteorologists can’t predict exactly which areas will receive more or less than the forecast amounts. The snow is expected to have cleared out of the area by Sunday morning.
Ice melt has been cleared off shelves at stores across the Triangle (and if you didn’t snag some yourself, you can try some at-home techniques to melt the stuff that sticks).
Danielle Battaglia, Twumasi Duah-Mensah, Brian Gordon, Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi, Anna Roman and Renee Umsted contributed to this report.
This story was originally published January 30, 2026 at 6:06 PM.
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