Note: This story is being updated as conditions change.

Updated Jan. 23:

This weekend’s incoming winter weather is now more likely to be a dangerous ice storm, prompting warnings that roads could be hazardous and power could be out through early next week. At a press conference Friday morning, N.C. Governor Josh Stein warned residents to take precautions now.

Winter storm warnings are in effect through midday Monday for the mountains and Piedmont, and are likely to expand into eastern North Carolina before the storm hits Saturday evening. It will drop mostly sleet and freezing rain, according to forecasters, followed by dangerously cold temperatures through Tuesday.

How much ice is coming?

North Carolina Emergency Management Director Will Ray said Friday ice poses the greatest risk.

“Ice accumulation of a quarter inch or more is likely across much of North Carolina Saturday through Monday morning,” Ray said.

But the National Weather Service says a swath of North Carolina that extends from the southern part of the mountains through the Triangle could get three quarters of an inch or more.

“As a reminder, ice accumulations of around a half inch or more can cause an increase in downed trees or impact power lines and lead to an increase in power outages,” he said.

What last-minute preparations are being made?

Ray said the State Emergency Response Team has been activated along with regional emergency coordination centers in Kinston, Burlington and Hickory. He said the state has also been shipping supplies to local shelters and warming stations.

More than 400 members of the North Carolina National Guard are also on alert across the state, Ray said.

Meanwhile, the state Department of Transportation says crews have applied nearly 3 million gallons of brine on North Carolina roads, but ice will still make travel extremely dangerous, according to NCDOT Secretary Daniel Johnson.

“With the likelihood of icy weather creating treacherous travel conditions in the days ahead, we urge people to please stay put if you don’t need to be out on the roads,” Johnson said. “Even if you have a large truck or SUV, driving on icy roads can be nearly impossible.”

Check the NC Department of Transportation site for real-time road conditions.

Shelters and communications during the storm

At least 11 counties had declared local states of emergency by Friday afternoon. They are opening shelters and warming stations. If you need shelter during the storm, the United Way runs a statewide hotline for information about emergency shelters. Call 211 or visit NC211.org.

Ray said communications workers have also been deployed across the state to try to keep 911, radio and phone systems up, even if power is out.

“That’s one reason we encourage folks to get battery-operated radios so that you can stay informed even if you lose communications through modern means,” he said.

Ray recommended checking ReadyNC.gov for storm updates and checklists to make sure you’re prepared for the storm.

Updated Jan. 22:

Meteorologists say confidence remains high that a significant winter storm will hit most of North Carolina this weekend, but forecasts say ice accumulation is becoming more likely than snow in some parts of the state.

Gov. Josh Stein said Thursday ice accumulation is the biggest concern for most of the state. Ice could knock out power, damage trees and make roads particularly dangerous.

The National Weather Service in Greenville-Spartanburg was the first to publish snowfall predictions Thursday, saying forecasters there expect between a half inch and three inches of snow, and up to three quarters of an inch of ice to accumulate in the North Carolina mountains.

Meanwhile, the earliest predictions for the Piedmont and eastern North Carolina are around a quarter inch of ice. That can still bring trees down and cause widespread power outages. 

Meteorologists continue to provide updates for western North Carolina here, central North Carolina here, eastern North Carolina here, and southeastern North Carolina here.

“Be ready to stay home for a few days, potentially without power,” Stein said. “Charge your devices, have food and water on hand, and think through how you’ll stay warm. Starting Saturday, please do everything you can to stay off the roads unless you absolutely have to drive. That keeps you safe and gives first responders and road crews the space they need to do their jobs.”

What officials are most worried about

Emergency management officials say the storm is expected to start early Saturday and last through the weekend, with lingering cold temperatures through Tuesday. That combination raises the risk of black ice, downed trees and long-lasting power outages.

North Carolina Emergency Management Director Will Ray said freezing rain and sleet could create more damage than snow alone.

“Ice accumulations of a half inch or more can cause an increase in downed trees or impact power lines and lead to an increase in power outages,” Ray said.

Ray also reminded residents not to run generators or use charcoal grills indoors due to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Roads could be dangerous for days

NCDOT Secretary Daniel Johnson said crews have sprayed more than 300,000 gallons of brine onto state roads. But Johnson said conditions will likely deteriorate quickly once the precipitation starts Saturday.

Johnson repeated the governor’s warning to stay off roads starting Saturday unless travel is absolutely necessary.

“The bottom line is it’s very difficult with any storm system to maintain one precipitation type throughout the duration [of the storm],” National Weather Service meteorologist Nick Petro said in a virtual weather briefing Tuesday, adding that it will matter how cold it is on the ground versus thousands of feet above it.

“Cold air is coming in from the north and warm air is trying to come in from the south and when it warms up above the surface, that’s what usually ends up giving us this sleet or freezing rain.”

Petro acknowledged some models call for 10 or more inches of snow in the mountains and Piedmont of North Carolina. Others predict what he called “a lot” of ice accumulation. It’s too soon to say exactly how much, he said.

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