The National Weather Service in Raleigh, NC has issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook and Special Weather Statement for central North Carolina, signaling a continuation of wintry conditions which could affect travel and daily activities for residents in the coming days.
As the temperature hovers around 26 degrees Fahrenheit early this morning, with an expected high nearing 46, the remnants of this previous snowfall have transformed thoroughfares into treacherous paths. "The remaining snow, ice, and slush has frozen hard early this morning," outlined the NWS' Special Weather Statement. The same text forewarns travelers of "areas of patchy black ice" where water from melted snow and ice refroze overnight. These conditions are expected to improve later in the day as temperatures rise above freezing, forecasts suggest.
The outlook for tonight includes a 50% chance of rain, which could bring new challenges to road conditions, particularly if the rain transitions into snow as anticipated on Wednesday and Wednesday night. The Hazardous Weather Outlook by the NWS predicts a strong likelihood of rain with "new precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible." The Weather Service cautions that "rain may change to light snow late Wednesday and Wednesday night," with a potential light accumulation, especially impactful over the Piedmont and the northern Coastal Plain regions.
Raleigh residents should also prepare for more wintry conditions with the probability of rain and snow on Wednesday night, leaning more towards all snow after 10 PM, and a cloudy low around 27 degrees. "A light accumulation is possible, especially over the Piedmont and northern Coastal Plain," the Hazardous Weather Outlook emphasises. This wave of weather may yield less than a half-inch of new snow accumulation.
The chilly weather pattern is set to break by the weekend with a sunny Friday paving the way towards clearer skies and higher temperatures nearing the upper 40s. Yet, the NWS keeps a conservative stance on weather promises for the foreseeable period.
