Winter 'snow'down
By Steve Herring
Published in News on January 4, 2018 5:50 AM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
The fountain had already frozen over in downtown Goldsboro when the first flakes were spotted Wednesday evening. Projections called for snow to fall throughout the night and into the early morning hours, with some pockets of the eastern portion of Wayne County expecting up to 6 inches of snowfall, some of which was likely to stick.
Forecasts late Wednesday suggested the extreme southeastern part of the county could receive up to 6 inches of snow, while the extreme western edge of the county anticipated slightly less snowfall, between 3 and 5 inches.
In preparation for the storm, the Wayne County Office of Emergency Services staged additional trucks in the county overnight Wednesday, said OES Director Mel Powers.
"We don't think it will be that busy tonight," Powers said. "Once people get in, we hope that they are going to stay in.
"But we want to be prepared for it."
The county will not open its emergency operations center, but essential personnel will be in the office today to monitor the storm system, Powers said.
Any decisions today will depend on what happens with the storm, he said.
"A lot of things go into perspective -- how much snowfall we get compared to what the highs are going to be, compared to the lows," he said.
"Then of course what the sun does.
"If the sun does any melting, then tomorrow night's lows will be around 12, so we would have to keep an eye on what that does overnight to see how Friday is going to look."
A winter storm warning was in effect from noon Wednesday until 7 a.m. today for much of the coastal plain of central North Carolina.
The area had been under a winter weather advisory, which has now been expanded west into the Triangle and Fayetteville.
In Wayne County, snow was likely, mainly after 4 p.m. Wednesday with total daytime snow accumulation of less than a 1/2 inch possible.
The high temperature was near 35 with wind chill values as low as 6.
The chance of precipitation was 60 percent.
Overnight there was an 80 percent chance of snow, mainly before 1 a.m.
The temperature was expected to drop to around 21 with wind chill values as low as 10.
New snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches is possible.
Today is forecast to be sunny with a high near 33 with wind chill values as low as 10.
Snow was expected over the eastern part of the state, mainly east of U.S. 1, Wednesday afternoon and through the night.
Amounts will likely be highest along and east of I-95, according to the National Weather Service.
A band of heavy snow may occur, most likely east of a line from Roanoke Rapids to Goldsboro, but details about the exact location of such a snow band remain uncertain, according to the National Weather Service.
Hazardous road conditions are possible, particularly on bridges and overpasses today.
Black ice will be possible on roads and walkways today and Friday, especially during the mornings across the areas that receive snow accumulation.
If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency. The latest road conditions for the state you are calling from can be obtained by calling 5 1 1.
Frigid temperatures and low wind chills will persist through the rest of the week, with the worst of the cold occurring tonight through Saturday.
In some areas, temperatures may not top the freezing mark today or Friday and lows in the lower teens will be common across the area.