Snow beginning to fall around the Triangle; DOT preparing for slick roads

Parts of the Triangle and much of eastern North Carolina are beginning to see snow Tuesday night amid freezing temperatures, creating hazardous road conditions and prompting WRAL Weather Alert Days for Tuesday and Wednesday.

Tuesday’s high was near-freezing. That means snow moving into our southeastern counties by the evening commute will stick, and roads could be treacherous by Tuesday night and Wednesday. Here’s an hour-by-hour look at the snow timing.

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“Plan to be off the roads between 5 and 7 p.m.,” WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner said. “When this starts to fall it is going to stick to the roads and it’s not likely to go anywhere.”

Estimated snow totals include:

• Northwestern counties: Less than 1 inch
• Triangle area: 1-2 inches
• Southeastern counties: 1-3 inches
• North Carolina coast: 4-6+ inches

Latest snow updates

6:15 p.m.: Snow has made its way to the Triangle. Officials at Raleigh-Durham International Airport are reporting light snow is visible at the airport.

Snow is also starting to fall on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill.

5 p.m.: Snow is beginning to accumulate in the Outer Banks. WRAL meteorologists believe as much as six inches will fall in the area, and more could fall in isolated places.

3 p.m.: Gov. Josh Stein and state officials delivered an update on snow safety and preparations. Roads could become slick in parts of our area by 5 p.m.

“If you do not need to be on the road please stay home for your own safety and for our first responders,” said William Ray, director of North Carolina Emergency Management.

Keep cellphones charged so you can recieve emergency alerts in a storm.

State officials also warned of wind chill and bitterly cold temperatures, advising residents to protect pipes by keeping cabinets under sinks open and letting faucets drip.

2 p.m.: More public schools are announcing they will be closed Wednesday, including Cumberland County Schools. Edgecombe, Harnett, Hoke and Lee counties are either in remote or asynchronous learning. Earlier on Tuesday, WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner said it’s very likely most other districts in our area will close.

1 p.m.: Schools in the Wake County Public School System will dismiss one hour early on Tuesday. Traditional calendar students are on a teacher workday, so this only affects year-round and modified calendar schools. There are some flurries east of Charlotte, but no snowflakes locally, WRAL meteorologist Aimee Wilmoth said.

Snow timing hour-by-hour for Tuesday night

This snow event will mainly impact areas southeast of Wake County before midnight. The coast will get the most snow, but areas east of Interstate 95 are likely to get at least 2-3 inches, according to WRAL meteorologists.

A winter storm warning goes into effect Tuesday evening for Cumberland, Edgecombe, Sampson, Wayne and Wilson counties. The National Weather Service said heavy snow is expected, with up to 3 inches likely in these areas and isolated totals of 4 inches possible. A winter weather advisory is in effect for Wake, Franklin, Halifax, Harnett, Hoke, Johnston, Lee, Moore and Nash counties.

Most of those counties will likely be dry through 3 p.m. or 4 p.m., and flurries could begin by 5 p.m., WRAL meteorologist Chris Michaels said.

“At 5 p.m. you may start to see a few flurries mixing in, but after 6 or 7 p.m. is when we expect the bulk of our precipitation to develop,” Michaels said. “I think the worst of the weather is going to be between about 9 p.m. and 1 a.m.”

After midnight, the snow will gradually move out of our area, but roads will be treacherous.

“It’s a quick hitter, but it could be impactful, especially because of how cold things are,” Michaels said.

In the map below, the areas shaded in white (counties north and west of Raleigh) will likely get less than 1 inch of snow.

Areas like Roxboro may see anything from a dusting or nothing, Michaels said, while areas like Willow Spring, Garner and Clayton could see more accumulation than Raleigh.

Counties to the south and east of Raleigh will likely see between 1-3 inches of snow, with larger totals closer to the coast.

Major highways and roads have already been brined, and the state Department of Transportation (NCDOT) shared a short update on Tuesday afternoon urging drivers to get home and stay home tonight.

“If you don’t have to be out there this evening, please don’t be out there,” NCDOT engineer Doug McNeal said. “It could get rough quick.”

Not a lot of sleet and freezing rain are expected with this system.

“The good thing about this snow is it’s easier to remove,” Michaels said. “It’s kind of fluffy and light in texture.”

Wayne County Public Schools has already made the decision to dismiss two hours early on Tuesday and close Wednesday. Many other schools in our area will likely be closed Wednesday. You can find the full list of school closings and delays here as they come in.

The snow moves offshore Wednesday morning, and the bitter cold continues. Another cold weather advisory will take effect Wednesday morning due to bitter wind chills; this includes Wake, Durham, Orange, Johnston, Cumberland and several other counties. Wind chill readings could reach single digits!