With forecasters projecting several inches of snow and dangerously cold temperatures to much of North Carolina, Gov. josh Stein on Friday urged North Carolinians to prepare to spend a second weekend at home.
"At this time because of expected snow accumulation, cold temperatures and wind gusts, our greatest concern is unsafe travel. So please take a second look at your weekend plans. Stay home and off the roads during winter weather," Stein said during a press briefing.
Unlike with last weekend's ice storm, state officials are less concerned about widespread power outages with this snow storm. But Stein did warn that the cold temperatures that are following in its wake could mean that the snow that falls will be in place for several days.
"Let's stick together, keep each other safe and hope for a fun snow day here in North Carolina, something we don't get all that often," said Stein, who declared a state of emergency on Thursday.
Since Thursday, N.C. Department of Transportation crews have spread 1.4 million gallons of brine across state roads, said N.C. DOT Secretary Daniel Johnson. That is intended to keep ice from forming once snow starts falling.
"Rest assured, we'll be working hard to clear the roads as quickly as possible. We ask for your patience as we work through the recovery, especially with more cold temperatures to come in the day ahead," Johnson said.
DOT crews are expected to work 12-hour shifts until roads are clear, with chainsaw crews also prepared to cut up downed trees impacting roads or utility lines.
N.C. Emergency Management Director Will Ray said the state has distributed 550 blankets to help with emergency shelter operations, in addition to 1,700 cots and blankets and 127 pallets of meals-ready-to-eat and drinking water that were distributed ahead of last weekend's storm.
"All North Carolinians should be finalizing plans now and should be prepared to stay home and off the roadways, starting tonight through early next week," Ray said.
As of Friday morning, the National Weather Service projected the storm's impacts will include:
- Up to a foot of snow in Manteo, with snowfall rates along the coast potentially exceeding one or two inches per hour late Saturday night and early Sunday morning. There is a chance that eastern North Carolina could see a foot of snow for the first time since December 1989 or March 1980, per the NWS. Temperatures along the coast are expected to remain below freezing until Tuesday, with wind chills hovering around zero degrees Fahrenheit.
- Six to eight inches of snow in the Triad and the Triangle, with a potential band dropping eight to 12 inches of snow on Sanford and Fayetteville. The Triad and Triangle could see wind gusts of about 30 miles per hour Saturday, with gusts as high as 40 mph. Temperatures for both regions are expected to remain below freezing through the weekend.
- Snow starting in western North Carolina on Friday afternoon, reaching four to six inches around Asheville and six to eight inches around Charlotte. The National Weather Service warned that roads in the region could quickly become slick, making travel dangerous.
- The Piedmont could see locally higher snowfall totals because the storm features bands of snow, according to forecasters from the NWS' Greenville-Spartanburg office.
- In western North Carolina, the primary concern is extremely cold temperatures, with wind chills between -10 and -25 degrees Saturday night and Sunday morning.
"Folks just need to not be outside if they possibly can," Stein said, emphasizing that anyone who is outside should wear several layers and try to cut down on exposed skin as much as possible to prevent frost bite.
Asked about the potential for power outages, Stein pointed to the snow's "banding" effect, noting that the weight from more than a dozen inches of snow could topple trees onto power lines.
"It's not going to be uniform across an entire county. You may have one town in the county that has 12, 15 inches if it's heavy and another may have six or sever or eight. So it will be localized. I know that our utility partners are ready to go," Stein said.
Concern about the Outer Banks
State officials are keeping a close eye on the Outer Banks, where forecasts are predicting wind gusts between 55 and 70 miles per hour Saturday night and Sunday morning. Those gusts are expected to cause between two to four feet of flooding, according to the NWS, with water washing into communities from both the Atlantic Ocean and the Pamlico Sound.
N.C. 12, the north-south road that is the key transportation artery for the Outer Banks, will likely be rendered impassable, especially on Hatteras and Ocracoke islands.
"This could present dangerous and potentially impassable conditions for driving along the coast. Our crews are ready to respond and will restore the roadway as soon as possible," Johnson said.
With several oceanfront homes perched precariously on a rapidly eroding shoreline around Buxton and Rodanthe, there is also a chance that increased wave energy could topple some additional houses into the Atlantic over the weekend.
Since October 2020, there have been 27 home collapses along the Outer Banks, according to the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, with 16 falling since September.
Asked how the emergency declaration could impact response to any potential collapses, Stein said, "The statewide emergency applies to the entirety of the state, including the Outer Banks and Buxton. Unfortunately, the declaration doesn't trigger any special assistance that's really relevant to them. What it does is enable us to move resources to help respond to emergencies."
Stein also made a case for federal legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Greg Murphy, NC-3, that would allow National Flood Insurance Program funds to be used to buy out at-risk homes.
