Wind chill advisories, 2-hour delays mean frigid overnight temps

WRAL meteorologists said there could be some "measurable snow" mid-week, mainly for eastern North Carolina.

Posted 3:17 p.m. Jan 1, 2018 — Updated 1:56 p.m. Jul 13, 2018

RALEIGH, N.C. — The bitterly cold temperatures that greeted 2018 mean some students will get an extra few hours to sleep before returning to class Tuesday morning.

Several districts, including the Wake County Public School System, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, Durham Public Schools, Cumberland County Schools, Halifax County Schools, Chatham County Schools, Robeson County public schools, among others announced Monday that all schools would operate on a two-hour delay Tuesday, citing the effects of the extreme temperatures on the buses and school heating systems that have sat idle during the winter break.

On Monday temperatures were in the teens across the Triangle, but wind chills made it feel like the single digits. By mid-afternoon, temperatures had still not climbed above the freezing mark.

The forecast on Tuesday will be similar to Monday, with highs in the low 30s with low temperatures in the teens.

A wind chill advisory was issued for several counties, including Wake, Durham and Johnston, from midnight through 9 a.m. Tuesday as the wind chill could make temperatures feel as low as 2 degrees around the Triangle. The cold wind chills can cause frost bite to exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes, according to the National Weather Service.

"It's going to be absolutely bitter," WRAL meteorologist Aimee Wilmoth said. "Temperatures to be very careful and bundle up."

Triangle to experience 'one of the coldest 7 day periods on record'

Wednesday will be just a bit milder, with highs in the upper 30s, before temperatures drop back into the low 30s and 20s again for the weekend.

According to Chief Meteorologist Greg Fishel, temperatures, on average, will be 15 to 20 degrees below normal for the week.

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For those who love snow, there could be some good news. WRAL meteorologist Mike Moss said there could be some "measurable snow" mid-week, mainly for eastern North Carolina.

"At this time, the best chance of any accumulating snow for parts of our viewing area would appear to come between midday Wednesday and daybreak or so on Thursday," said Moss.

According to Wilmoth, there is about a 50 percent chance to see less than the amounts in these green contours and a 50 percent chance to see more. "We'll be monitoring the systems as they develop, since the location and amount of precipitation could change," said Moss.

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