Governor Josh Stein issued a state of emergency declaration today ahead of a winter storm this weekend.
Latest NWS briefing
A winter storm watch is in effect for all of central North Carolina from Friday afternoon through Sunday afternoon, the National Weather Service said in its latest briefing.
Widespread accumulations of 5 to 10 inches are expected across the region.
There is high uncertainty regarding narrow high-rate snowbands that could lead to significantly higher localized totals.
The NWS is calling for approximately 8 inches of snow in the Roanoke Rapids area.
This storm is expected to be exceptionally windy, creating dangerous conditions.
An extreme cold watch is in effect from late Saturday night through Sunday morning.
North winds of 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 40 mph will produce dangerously cold wind chills as low as 7 below zero.
The predicted wind chill for the Roanoke Rapids area is 6 below zero.
Travel conditions are expected to be treacherous or impossible starting Friday night and lasting into early next week.
Strong winds and the weight of snow on tree limbs are likely to cause scattered power outages.
Even after the snow stops, black ice will be a major concern for several nights starting Sunday night.
Governor’s response
Stein said the state of emergency was issued to ensure the state qualifies for federal assistance if needed to respond to or recover from this winter weather event, and to activate the State Emergency Response Team ahead of the storm’s arrival on Saturday morning.
“As another round of winter weather moves into North Carolina, this time possibly bringing snow, I urge everyone to stay alert and take precautions,” said Stein. “Our emergency management teams and NCDOT crews continue to work around the clock, and I’m grateful for their continued dedication to keeping North Carolinians safe. Please continue to use caution when driving and follow the same safety steps that helped keep people safe last weekend.”
North Carolina Emergency Management Director Will Ray said, “Once again, much of North Carolina is forecast to receive wintry weather and it’s important to be prepared.”
Ray said while the forecast for this weekend's storm is expected to be primarily snow, “it is important to remember that travel conditions may become treacherous, and it's safest to just stay home to let first responders, the NCDOT, the NC National Guard, and the State Highway Patrol safely work.”
Ray encouraged North Carolinians to focus on personal and family preparedness and to continue checking in on those in their neighborhood or community who may need support.
“Most road-clearing work from last weekend’s storm is complete and we started pre-treating roads with brine yesterday so we’re ready for what this next storm brings,” said State Transportation Secretary Daniel Johnson. “We expect major impacts to our roads this weekend and into next week due to the expected cold temperatures. Once this storm hits, play it safe and stay off the roads until conditions improve.”
NCDOT response
On Wednesday, crews across the state started pre-treating roads with brine. As of 3 p.m. today, crews had placed more than 970,000 gallons of brine on North Carolina roads. The saltwater solution lowers the freezing temperature of water to about 18 degrees and helps prevent ice from forming on pavement.
More than 1,100 NCDOT employees and contractors will continue today and Friday treating interstates, highways, and other well-traveled secondary roads before the second storm arrives. The state agency has over 1,250 dump trucks that can be equipped with plows and spreaders to remove snow and ice, and 913 contract trucks. The agency also has 217 motor graders and more than 150,000 tons of salt ready to treat roads.
