A winter storm system stretching from Oklahoma to the Carolina coast has prompted the National Weather Service to issue a winter storm warning across the South.
In North Carolina, the central part of the state, from Raleigh to Cumberland County, is predicted to have a 100 percent chance of snow and sleet by today, with highs and lows in the 20s — a drastic fall from the 61-degree high Thursday.
By this morning, the Triangle was expected to see 3 to 5 inches of snow on the ground.
The major threat locally will be hazardous roads and the possibility of power outages.
Those planning to travel should consider alternate plans as "travel may become dangerous," according to the weather service.
“Accidents are tremendous, especially on secondary roads,” Highway Patrol Sgt. S.J. Greene said. “As snow covers the highway, drivers can’t see and we don’t have well-lit roads through there so people end up in ditches.”
Greene said the last time there was snow in the area, the number of accidents “was phenomenal.”
“But that happens any time we have snow in this area,” he said. “People here aren’t accustomed to it like they are in the northern states.”
Greene advised people stay off the roads when the weather is cold and stormy.
“Cut down on travel as much as much as possible, be very particular over bridges, and prepare early,” Greene said. “Make sure you have plenty of gas in the vehicle and have groceries; don’t wait until the snow hits to go out.
“And of course, slow down.”
The Highway Patrol is working with the state Department of Transportation to salt highways in anticipation of ice on the roads.
“In all corridor counties and west of that, they’re going ahead and brining, and they’ve got crews on standby and equipment ready should anything happen,” said Jennifer Garifo, with Department of Transportation communications.
Power companies remind people to stay away from power lines that are weighted with ice.
“This is kind of our worse challenge in terms of getting the electricity back on,” said Walter White, marketing manager for Lumbee River Electric Membership Corp. “It’s one of those things that we are preparing for the worst but hoping for the best. We’re in a planning phase right now. We have our trucks ready and having our employees on stand-by.”
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