Winter Weather Arrives In North Carolina

UPDATE 7:06 a.m.

The wintry precipitation has moved out of the region, but there is still a lingering chance from some slight flurries in the morning. Now that the clean-up begins, the major concern is still the roadways, and different areas of the Piedmont have different problems.

In downtown Greensboro, about ½ to 3/4 of an inch of sleet is coating the roadways. The amounts are greater in Winston-Salem, with about an inch. Other places in Forsyth County have about 2 inches.

@wfdd The snow is letting Downtown sleep in this morning. #HothWinstonSalem pic.twitter.com/sYgAETxsbo

— Walker (@ImperialWalker_) February 17, 2015

Duke Energy is reporting about 1,000 people without power in Rowan County near Salisbury, and there are thousands more near the South and coastal areas.

NCDOT crews are plowing across the state and using salt and sand to treat the roads. The key is to get through that frozen mess to treat them effectively.

State officials are still urging people to stay off the roadways this morning and to stay inside if possible. They also urge using extreme caution when walking on sidewalks and parking lots, as these are very slick.

The Winston-Salem Police Department says it hasn't responded to any accidents since around midnight, so that is a sign that people are listening to the warnings and staying off the roads this morning.

Original story:

Snow began falling in the Triad Monday afternoon as schools and business closed early. Chief meteorologist Van Denton with FOX8 says snow will continue in the area, but there's a potential for ice in many parts of the state. 

Denton says the Triad can expect 2-4 inches of snow. He says that there will be warmer temperatures aloft and that will change snow into sleet from the southeast to northwest. Denton is more concerned about other places in the southern part of the region, where freezing rain could occur.  

"We start getting problems on tree branches when we get to a quarter of an inch of freezing rain," says Denton. "I'm really worried about places--if you drew a line from Lexington to Asheboro to Burlington-- anywhere south of that line has got a pretty good chance to get above a quarter inch of freezing rain." 

@wfdd snowy greensboro pic.twitter.com/PyHdMECrIq

— Alaina Monts (@alainamonts) February 16, 2015

Denton says the snow that does accumulate won't be going anywhere anytime soon, as brutally cold weather will set in after the storm is over. 

“The coldest we've ever had officially in the Triad is 8 below zero and that was Jan. 21, 1985 and the coldest we've been in February is 4 below and that is actually going to be close one of those nights for some of our counties at least.”

A view across the WFU campus from the WFDD studios. pic.twitter.com/MLXtPm6PW8

— Michael Burke (@michaelB_WFDD) February 16, 2015