Winter storm hits Central North Carolina, bringing ice and sleet

As a winter storm approaches North Carolina, state leaders are urging preparedness as a top priority.

During a media briefing on Thursday, Governor Stein and other officials emphasized the need to stock up on essentials such as water, non-perishable foods, and medications for the next three to five days. They also recommended gathering flashlights, batteries, blankets, and winter clothing. The state is already preparing to ship supplies to support shelters if necessary.

Governor Stein held a briefing on preparation for the upcoming winter storm.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (DOT) also held a briefing, stressing that this will be a "marathon, not a sprint." They are urging people to stay off the roads to support their efforts.

DOT outlined a three-phase response plan: Phase 1 involved preparing roads by spreading over 300,000 gallons of brine to prevent snow and ice from sticking. However, officials are also concerned about ice-laden trees and have hired subcontractors to remove downed trees while keeping extra crews on standby.

Read more.

Governor Josh Stein has declared a State of Emergency as a Winter Storm Watch was issued for all of Central North Carolina Saturday afternoon through Monday.

"I encourage all North Carolinians to stay home and off the roads this weekend unless absolutely necessary so first responders can do their jobs safely and effectively," the governor said in a news release. Crews across the state are out brining roads and bridges, but officials warned impacts will likely linger into next week.

The winter weather is shifting its timeline slightly, with the arrival of precipitation now expected closer to 5 p.m. on Saturday. The forecast calls for snow and sleet to start Saturday evening, transitioning to sleet and freezing rain late Saturday night and continuing through Sunday evening.

SEE ALSO: Weather alerts issued in NC as winter storm approaches

Snowfall totals are likely to stay on the lower end of the 1 to 3-inch range, while sleet accumulations over half an inch are becoming more probable. Freezing rain, however, is expected to be the main concern, with ice accumulations of 0.25 to 0.75 inches possible in many areas.

Temperatures are not forecasted to rise above freezing until Monday, so that will be the first opportunity for any melting. But with low temperatures dropping well below freezing each night next week, any daytime melting could refreeze overnight, potentially creating travel challenges.

The arctic air will also bring unusually low high temperatures in the upper 20s to near 30 on Saturday. This could approach or even break records, with Saturday's record at 27 (set in 2014) and Sunday's at 28 (set in 2013).

All eyes are on the weather in NC and the Triangle as the threat of a significant winter storm increases.

Transportation and utility crews are keeping an eye out on the type and amount of precipitation the storm could bring.

Duke Energy spokesperson Jeff Brooks says winter storms can be difficult to track.

"The forecasts are very hard to figure out because a few miles and a few degrees can mean the difference between snow, ice or nothing," he said.

He says it takes roughly 6 to 8 inches of snow for tree limbs to fall, while it only takes a quarter of an inch of ice for the same thing to happen.

Brooks says crews will begin prepping to respond to downed wires and outages later this week.

"Our crews this week will be checking their inventories, making sure that we've got all the supplies we need for a major restoration if we need to."

But he says preparations for severe storms take place all year.

"We've upgraded poles and wires across the state over the last few years to make them stronger and more resistant to outages from severe weather," he said. "And we've trimmed a lot of trees."

Duke Energy has also added smart self-healing technology on a lot of main power lines, which benefits roughly one million customers in the Triangle.

"What it does is it automatically detects a power outage and then looks for ways to reroute power to other lines. One way to think of it is like the GPS in your car that tells you there's an accident ahead. But if you go around this route, you can get around it. This is like a GPS for the power grid," he said.

"It helps to reduce outage time down to sometimes less than a minute and can reduce the number of customers impacted by an outage by as much as 75%."

Brine lines will also return within the next day or two on roads.

Kim Deaner from the NCDOT says crews will start spreading brine first on major highways, then major roads and trouble spots over the next few days.

"We are going to start brining here in Wake County in the next 24 hours," she said. "It's either going to be an all-snow event, which is much easier to clean the roads when it's all snow. If we end up dealing with ice, that complicates things."

NCDOT crews will have plows ready for whatever the weather brings.

Duke Energy is urging customers to take action now in the event of a power outage.

They recommend having a way to charge electronic devices, and making sure generators are ready in case they're needed.