More than 70 counties in North Carolina are under alert ahead of a winter storm expected on Friday. As of Thursday evening, five schools have either delayed start times or have moved to remote learning and 71 counties are either under a winter weather advisory or flood warning.
A system making its way from Texas is likely to hit eastern and central North Carolina on Friday, with high temperatures in the upper 30-degree range. According to WCNC Meteorologist Brad Panovich, a winter storm could bring up to 6 inches of snow in higher elevated parts of the state, while areas north of Charlotte and along Interstate 40 could see around 1 to 2 inches.
While western parts of the state could see snow, central counties will likely experience a cold rain throughout much of Friday with the chance of snow by the end of the day.
"It could start off as a few snowflakes, but it's going to be a cold, wet rain through most of the day," said ABC 11 Meteorologist Don Schwenneker. "It ends as a wintry mix [Friday] night, especially for the Triangle, north and west. In those areas, you could see a slushy accumulation of snow."
As of 6 p.m. Thursday, Alamance Burlington Schools, Central Wake High School, and Vance Charter Schools are moving to remote learning. Crossroads Christian School has a delayed start by two hours, and COLTS/Lee Transit System will be delayed until 7 a.m. Keep up with school closings here.
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