With snow on the ground and below-freezing temperatures, drivers will have to be careful for slick spots Wednesday into Thursday. Several districts have already shifted to remote learning Thursday, including Cumberland, Harnett and Wayne counties.
Abundant sunshine will help melt some of the snow, but the high on Wednesday is near-freezing, so some roads will stay covered, then "we'll have a refreeze overnight tonight," WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner said.
Other WRAL Top Stories
ReportIt: Send us your pics | Live webcams across NC | School closings | Snow photos | Get alerts from WRAL | Winter weather tips
Parts of the Triangle saw more than 1 inch of snow overnight, and sledding conditions were ideal, causing many families to flock to Dix Park in Raleigh.
The snow was a familiar experience for Mary Jackson and her dog Yanni, who used to live in Utah.
"You know, where it snows all the time, people get bored of it and frustrated by it," Jackson said. "But here I love that everyone gets so excited. And that makes it so fun."
Dix Park was a playground Wednesday afternoon for all ages to enjoy sledding, and Sky 5 flew over the snowy, joyful scene. Some younger sledders needed a little push, like 5-year-old Noah Rosenthal.
Noah's dad, Jake, said they had to navigate icy roads heading to the park.
"Our neighborhood was a little icy," he said.
Jackson said it was magical.
"I really like the silence of it," she said. "I think it makes the city really quiet, because obviously no one is out. It also dulls all the noises. So it’s really serene to me but has this energy at the same time."
Slick conditions persist on some streets
Drivers will need to be extra careful after sunset Wednesday and on Thursday morning. Even if roads look clear, there could be slick patches. Drive slowly and allow time to brake.
At noon, most major routes in the Triangle were clear, including I-40, I-440, U.S. 1, I-540 and U.S. 70, but at 12 p.m., some secondary roads remain covered in snow.
The Apex Police Department shared photos of trouble spots, including Lufkin Road by Lufkin Middle School, Old U.S. 1 at 540, James Street, Salem Street, Laura Duncan Road near Apex Community Park, Olive Chapel Road by Ashley Downs, and Kelly Road at Jenks Road.
The Durham County Sheriff's Office posted a similar warning, listing Cheek Road at Little Rogers Road, Massey Chapel Road at James Rodd, Rose of Sharon Road at Guess Road, Carpenter Road at Junction Road, Olive Branch Road at Wake Forest Highway, Patterson Road and others.
Other secondary roads are clearing. A trip around Durham shows major improvement on the main roads in the downtown area. WRAL meteorologist Aimee Wilmoth said many of the streets had cleared up with the sunlight. In Raleigh, WRAL reporter Chelsea Donovan reported from Wake Forest Road, which was clear.
How much snow did we get?
Parts of the Triangle saw more than 1 inch of snow overnight, but our coast was the "winner" for this snow, with Kitty Hawk getting 9 inches and Wilmington getting 3 inches. This was still our snowiest day since Jan. 20, 2022. Here's a look at local accumulations:
- Clayton 1.5"
- Willow Spring 0.8"
- Garner 1.0"
- Red Oak 2.1"
- Sanford 1.5"
- Cary 1.3"
- Pinehurst 1.0"
- Apex 0.8"
- Chapel Hill 1.0"
- Creedmoor 0.3
Snow timeline: Jan. 21-22, 2025
1 p.m.: School districts start announcing remote learning for Thursday, including Cumberland, Harnett and Wayne counties. View all closings.
12 p.m.: First responders responded to a flipped-over SUV along a road near Carthage on McPherson Road.
11:30 a.m.: A trip around Durham shows major improvement on the main roads in the downtown area. WRAL meterologist Aimee Wilmoth said many of the streets had cleared up with the sunlight.
11 a.m.: Many of the Triangle's secondary roads remain treacherous! The Apex Police Department shared photos of trouble spots, including Lufkin Road by Lufkin Middle School, Old U.S. 1 at 540, James Street, Salem Street, Laura Duncan Road near Apex Community Park, Olive Chapel Road by Ashley Downs, and Kelly Road at Jenks Road.
The Durham County Sheriff's Office posted a similar warning, listing Cheek Road at Little Rogers Road, Massey Chapel Road at James Rodd, Rose of Sharon Road at Guess Road, Carpenter Road at Junction Road, Olive Branch Road at Wake Forest Highway, Patterson Road, and others.
Other secondary roads are clearing. WRAL reporter Chelsea Donovan reported from Wake Forest Road in Raleigh, which was clear.
10 a.m.: Franklin County Emergency Management officals said they've seen three weather-related crashes since Tuesday night. Most of the secondary roads in remain untouched with the main roads in better shape.
A crash closed two westbound lanes on I-40 near Garner at Exit 306 for U.S. 70. Numerous crashes have been reported, but there are no reports of serious injuries. Drive carefully!
9 a.m: Sledding conditions look good in the Triangle. WRAL reporter Kelsey Coffey sucessfully sledded down the hil at Dix Park, and WRAL reporter Chelsea Donovan had success in Holly Springs. Viewers are sending photos of dogs and kiddos playing in the snow.
8:30 a.m.: Once the sun comes out, the snow will look gorgeous, but it will start to melt on some of the roads. We'll see the skies clearing by 10 a.m. The wind chills are in the single digits in Raleigh and Durham (9!).
7:30 a.m.: As daylight arrives and more people are veturing outside, we're getting reports of crashes in the Triangle, including on Globe Road at Aviation Parkway. Even if roads look clear, there could be slick patches. Drive slowly and allow time to brake. Road temperatures in Raleigh were 21 degrees at 7:30 a.m., so it will take a lot of sunshine to melt the mess on secondary roads.
It's still very cold, with a wind chill of 13 degrees in Raleigh.
WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner said road conditions should improve by the afternoon, but refreezing overnight could cause slick spots again overnight and Thursday morning.
7 a.m.: Major roads in the Triangle are mostly clear. WRAL reporter Kelsey Coffey was driving on U.S. Highway 1 near Cary and Apex, where slick spots are possible but the lanes are clear.
6 a.m.: There are 14 cancellations and four delays at Raleigh-Durham International Airport.
5:15 a.m.: It's important to know you could still run into a few slick spots on the roads as temperatures stay around freezing this afteroon. There will be some improvement as the sun comes out.
5 a.m.: The clouds and snow are getting out of here.Snowfall totals show Rocky Mount having received 3 inches. Wake Forest got 1.9 inches and there was exactly 1 inch at WRAL studios in Raleigh. At the coast, a report of 8 inches of snowfall came in from Dare County! Most roads and surfaces in the area are snow-covered. There is a cold weather advisory for wind chills in the low teens and single digits.
10 p.m.: The National Weather Service said more than an inch of snow has fallen in Raleigh. The area was expected to see anywhere between 1 to 2 inches of snow through later Tuesday and early Wednesday.
9:30 p.m.: Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools and Durham Public Schools announced both districts will be closed on Wednesday, citing potentially dangerous road conditions in the morning.
Both school districts will have optional remote workdays for staff. For a full list of closings and delays, tap or click here.
9 p.m.: The Wake County Public Schools System announced all schools in the district will be closed on Wednesday, joining several other districts that made similar announcements earlier in the day.
8 p.m.: The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for Dupin and Lenoir counties until 7 a.m. Wednesday, for Bladen and Robeson counties until 8 a.m.
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.
Additionally, Johnston County Schools announced all district schools would be closed on Wednesday.