Preparations take shape as threat of a significant winter storm increases

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- 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.

SEE ALSO: How to prepare a winter weather safety kit for the season