This post will be updated frequently on Feb. 19, 2021 with the latest information and breaking news about winter weather conditions in North Carolina. The latest updates will be entered at the top with timestamps. Scroll down for older updates.
Some schools closed, and tens of thousands lost power as a winter storm swept through parts of North Carolina this week. The National Weather Service in Raleigh said Friday morning that the “threat of impactful wintry weather is winding down," but flooding remains a concern.
6:53 a.m.
The winter weather system that brought freezing rain Thursday is winding down. The National Weather Service in Raleigh says the amount of ice accumulation across central North Carolina was less than originally expected.
Meteorologist Jonathan Blaes says by mid-morning Friday, the threat of freezing or heavy rain will be over.
"At that point, we're going to be just worried about rivers and streams absorbing the runoff and rising over the next handful of days,” Blaes said. “Many rivers are actually already in flood and most will continue to rise for the next few days."
This morning, about 120 power outages are being reported by Duke Energy. – Celeste Gracia, WUNC
610 am: The threat of impactful wintry weather is winding down. There are no observations with temperatures below freezing and just a few locations are at 32 (which is also the melting temperature). Icing has been limited this morning and conditions are improving. Map from @NCSCO pic.twitter.com/r7lSgBuVTm
— NWS Raleigh (@NWSRaleigh) February 19, 2021
6:25 a.m.
Because of ongoing inclement weather, some local city and county government offices will again delay opening by a couple hours Friday morning, including Durham County and the city of Greensboro. Chapel Hill and Carrboro City Schools will have a remote learning day Friday. It is a snow day for Orange County Schools. Guilford County Schools will be delayed by two hours. The Durham County Department of Public Health COVID-19 vaccination clinic will open later than usual Friday morning at 11 a.m. – Celeste Gracia, WUNC
Rivers and streams will continue to run very high, with river flooding persisting over central NC through the weekend. Details at https://t.co/fG4ITWm6zc #ncwx pic.twitter.com/JVAumbGXdA
— NWS Raleigh (@NWSRaleigh) February 19, 2021
6:01 a.m.
Freezing rain across central North Carolina will be limited this morning because of slowly increasing temperatures. Most areas are now at or above freezing. The highest amount of freezing rain is expected north of I-85. On Thursday, a preliminary average of two-tenths of an inch of ice fell in the Triad. In the Triangle, ice accumulations were less than one-tenth of an inch. – Celeste Gracia, WUNC
5:42 a.m.
Duke Energy crews are restoring power to a limited number of customers who lost it in Thursday’s ice storm. The utility reported as many as 20,000 outages Thursday, mostly in the Triad area. But Duke Energy spokeswoman Meredith Archie said the number was well below the company's prediction of nearly a million outages.
“The ice accumulation didn't quite reach those thresholds that we had planned for and that our forecasts showed,” Archie said. “And with winter weather one degree can make a really big difference when it comes to power outages.”
Some counties on the Virginia border could continue to experience outages Friday. 40 members of the North Carolina National Guard were mobilized to help with tree and debris cleanup. – Will Michaels, WUNC
This post is compiled and edited by Mitchell Northam, Elizabeth Baier and Laura Pellicer.
