FIRST ALERT WEATHER DAY: Cold Friday sets stage for significant snow and ice tonight
The winter storm Friday night is set to create hazardous conditions we haven’t seen since 2018
GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) - Below freezing temperatures cover most of Eastern North Carolina. Cloudy skies will break out with snow and sleet late this evening. Along the coast, a light icy mix will fall off and on through the afternoon and become steadier and heavier after dark. The stage is set for an ice/snow event that we haven’t seen since 2018. An Ice Storm Warning is in effect for Pamlico, Southern Craven, Western Carteret, Jones, and Onslow Counties where enough ice may form on trees and power lines from freezing rain to cause power outages late Friday night. Farther inland, more snow and sleet is expected which should limit power outages.
A Winter Storm Warning is in effect for Beaufort, Bertie, Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Duplin, Edgecombe, Gates, Greene, Halifax, Hertford, Hyde, Lenoir, Martin, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Pitt, Tyrrell, Washington, Wayne and Wilson counties until 7 a.m. Saturday. Snow and sleet will develop late Friday and taper off before or near sunrise Saturday from west to east. Total snow accumulations in these areas will be 2 to 4 inches with lesser amounts near the fringes of the Warning area. Sleet may keep snow totals down for some areas in the southeastern part of the warning area.
The greatest ice accretions will line up across parts of Onslow, Jones, Pamlico, Pender, Southern Craven and Western Carteret counties. An Ice Storm Warning is in effect until 7 a.m. Saturday for those areas with a quarter to half an inch of ice expected to accrete on exposed surfaces. Freezing rain poses the greatest threat to power as tree branches will break quite easily with even a few tenths of an inch of ice. This combined with the subfreezing temperatures that will be present through Saturday morning creates a real threat to those who lose power.
We’ll see the snow and ice start to melt a little Saturday afternoon, but it will refreeze Saturday evening. More will melt Sunday with highs several degrees above freezing, however, it will drop below freezing again Sunday night for more potential black ice Monday morning.
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