Central North Carolina preps for winter storm expected to bring snow, sleet this weekend

All Wayne County Government offices will close at 3 p.m. Friday for non-essential personnel.

This closure includes all branches of the Wayne County Public Library, Peggy M. Seegars Senior Center, Wayne County Animal Shelter, and the Wayne County Landfill and convenience centers. All offices and facilities that are open on Saturday will be closed.

Offices will re-open on Monday for regular business hours.

The Wayne County Office of Emergency Services urges residents to prepare for winter weather expected Friday evening through Saturday, with icy conditions likely to create slippery roads and hazardous surfaces.

Residents should prepare their homes now to avoid unnecessary travel during the storm. With the potential for scattered power outages because of ice accumulation, it is important to have extra layers, blankets, and emergency supplies ready, a spokesman said. Never use generators or grills indoors due to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

The Town of Southern Pines announced several closings and adjustments ahead of the winter storm approaching the central part of the state.

Solid Waste & Recycling will begin at 6 a.m. and will not run past 3 p.m.

The library will be closed Saturday.

Parks & Rec's Friday afternoon and Saturday morning programs are canceled

Police and Fire stations are open as temporary warming stations

Town Offices will close at 2 p.m. Friday

ABC11 checked in at the Harris Teeter at The Village to get a feel for how busy grocery stores are getting ahead of the anticipated snow.

Customers said it was busy inside but there was no panic-buying.

A lot of the people who spoke to ABC11 said they had already stocked up, and now it's just time to see what the winter weather brings to the Triangle.

Still, shoppers were grabbing food staples. One grocery store had hardly any milk and absolutely no eggs, while another location had plenty.

There was a constant flow of customers in and out of several grocery stores near downtown Raleigh. Hardware stores were also doing steady business.

At hardware stores such as Burke Brothers in Raleigh, employees were seen unloading Thursday's delivery of more supplies ahead of the incoming winter weather.

Jeff Hastings, who's the owner, said some of the things that have been flying off the shelves recently are ice melt, hand warmers, gloves, sleds and a deicer for car windshields.

Read more here.

North Carolina Department of Transportation crews have been busy applying a salt/water mix to brine roadways ahead of the expected winter storm.

They started Wednesday to get a head start and continued working all day Thursday.

There are two salt plants producing 320 gallons of brine per minute. The NCDOT's Division 5 will have nearly 350 trucks on the road Thursday and Friday.