We've got ice - some snow - and more ice

It's turned out to be one of the most challenging storms I've ever had to forecast for.

Just rain = easier to forecast. Just snow = easier forecast. Rain, sleet, freezing rain, snow = difficult forecast.

You can see from this map that the snow/sleet line cut right through our area, with the pink colors (heavier amounts of snow) up around the Virginia border.

Some snow totals around the northern part of our area came in anywhere from 2-5+ inches.

We even had a social media report of 7" north of Bethel Hill with thunder snow reported. Wow! We don't get much in the way of thunder snow around here.

Across Wake County, the totals varied from west to east. More in Cary and Apex, less in Rolesville.

So what's next? Well, if you've got branches in your yard you want to try and clean up, please wait. Check out some of the trees down in Moore County.

Those trees will hold pounds of ice. I think we'll still see winds gusting 25mph today. That will knock ice off trees and create projectiles that could really injure you.

Later today, we'll see a little sun and some melt, but tonight, it all refreezes. As skies clear out the temps will drop. Without clouds to act like a blanket, the little bit of heat we've built up will shoot back into space. That's called "radiational cooling." When we have a wintery cover on the ground, that radiational cooling can be even more drastic.

When we might've seen temps tonight down into the upper 20s, we'll now be in the lower 20s. And here's the rub. According to NCDOT, the salt on the roads loses its effectiveness around 24 degrees, so I think a lot of what melts today is going to re-freeze tonight.

That means a very slippery Sunday morning. Make sure to check ABC11's closings page.

I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of churches cancel Sunday morning.

Stay safe and stay warm!