Storm warnings lifted across NC

During an 8:30 a.m. news conference in Raleigh, McCrory said now is not the time to "spike a football" in regard to the way the state has responded to the winter storm. Since 6 p.m. Monday, McCrory said state Highway Patrol officials have responded to 2,100 calls for service. One weather-related traffic death has been reported; a 19-year-old female died in a wreck in Hertford County. 

"If you don't have to be out, stay off the roads today. Stay home and enjoy your family," he said. 

Crews will continue to treat roads throughout the day Tuesday, but McCrory said there "is not much" anyone can do to combat black ice, which is expected to be an issue for several days due to continued cold temperatures.

"By the time we get into the 8 a.m. hour, we should start to see the precipitation come to an end," she said.

"If you don't have to be on the roads this morning, stay off of them. Let the crews do their work," he said.

Officials said travelers should check with their specific airlines for flight information, RDU spokesperson Mindy Hamlin said. 

"Again, just stay put," WRAL traffic reporter Brian Shrader said. 

"We'll continue to see this trend between now and sunrise, as the bulk of this system moves out of the area," she said. "It is leaving behind very, very cold air."

After initially being on a delay, Cumberland County Schools announced at 5:25 a.m. Tuesday that they would be closed due to widespread power outages. 

"We put down brine before the storm arrived, and this morning they are trying to get out there with plows to clear the snow they can," he said. "Then they will get out there with salt and sand, but the major concern for us will the cold temperatures. It could be dangerous on the roads for several days."

WRAL reporter Gilbert Beaz says road conditions are also dangerous in Cumberland County. 

"I was shocked at how bad the roads were when I got out on the roads this morning," he said. "If you do not have to come out in Cumberland and Sampson counties, don't."

Fort Bragg announced early Tuesday that service members will report to their units at noon. Civilians should report at 1 p.m. Fort Bragg schools are now closed for Tuesday.

"Just stay put this morning, because we're going to have some issues on the roads as we go through the morning," he said. 

Some power outages had been reported in Hoke, Cumberland and Sampson counties early Tuesday. The southern counties in the area saw more freezing rain overnight, while the bulk of the Triangle saw more sleet.

"We can expect to see the precipitation tapering off between 5 and 7 a.m. from west to east," Gardner said. "We could continue to see sleet or some spotty freezing drizzle through about daybreak. We're still cold though, so the roads will be quite treacherous this morning."

The bulk of central and eastern North Carolina remains under a winter storm warning until 9 a.m. Temperatures are in the upper teens across much of the area and aren't expected to climb to near freezing until Tuesday afternoon.

"It's fair to say at this point that we're looking at more sleet than freezing rain, meaning the power outage threat is decreasing," he said. "It stayed just cold enough these last few thousand feet to keep the sleet going. It's going to save us from a major problem in regard to ice on trees and power lines."

Light snow is falling near the North Carolina-Virginia border, but the rest of the viewing area should expect sleet and freezing rain overnight.

WRAL's Cullen Browder in Drive5 reported that Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh "is just a sheet of ice. We expect conditions to continue to worsen."

"The more sleet we see, the less likelihood we'll have widespread power outages," said WRAL meteorologist Mike Maze.

Morning lows will be 23 on Tuesday, 20 on Wednesday, 5 on Thursday and 0 on Friday. Thursday and Friday's morning lows are expected to break records set in 1979. 

Route 100 at Hillsborough/Brooks to Raleigh; 11:10 a.m. from RDU to Regional Transit Center

Route 300 from Cary

Route 400 from UNC and Durham Station

Route 700 from Durham Station

Route 800 from Southpoint to the Regional Transit Center; 11:09 a.m. at Student Stores to UNC Hospital

Route 805 from UNC

The below regional routes will run on a normal schedule starting at noon: Routes 102, 105, 201, 300, 301, 305, 311, 405 and 805

Express Routes, shuttles and Paratransit service provided by T-Linx will run on a normal schedule starting at noon

Freezing rain and sleet is falling across central NC and is expected to continue until 3 a.m. Tuesday, which is when the precipitation will move out of the area, but icy roads will remain. Up to a ½ inch of ice is expected in the Triangle. Freezing rain is expected south of the Triangle and snow is anticipated in northern areas.

“The roads have gotten progressively worse,” Browder said while reporting from a vehicle wreck at Interstate 40 East and Rock Quarry Road. He said the roads being pretreated with brine has helped prevent the roads from being icier.

“The potential for power outages is the major concern tonight,” he said, adding that Duke Energy crews are ready to go and that extended outages are possible. “Stay away from downed power lines and be patient.”

Traffic is light across Triangle and vehicles are driving slow.

“if you have to be out and about, definitely take it easy,” he said. “So far we’re not seeing a whole lot of accidents on the major streets, but we are on the side roads.”

Johnson warned that freezing rain can be deceptive.

“Take it easy outside,” he said. “Stay home if you absolutely can.”

“You can’t tell where the road is for the most part except for the curbs on either side,” he said. “It’s white over, the roads in downtown Durham.”

“We are getting a steady dose of freezing rain all night long,” he said. “Ice has already been a problem out here tonight.”

While traffic has been light, there have been a few wrecks.

“if you ain’t got to be out here, then you don’t need to be out here,” said Alvin Blunt, whose child was involved in a minor accident after hitting a patch of ice.

“Even though Fayetteville hasn’t received what we’ve seen in Raleigh, the roads are still slick,” she said while reporting from a two vehicle accident at Bragg Boulevard and Carroll Street. “One minute it's freezing rain and another minute it’s just rain. (Freezing rain) looks like rain and it sounds like rain, but when you step outside you see some freezing spots.” 

The estimate of between a quarter-inch and a half-inch could lean toward the lower end if the precipitation lessens. But Fishel said it's too soon to tell.

"If precipitation falls at the rate 0f .05-.10"/hour, then significant ice accumulations will still occur. Anything less than that, and we will have dodged a huge bullet," he said.

"We are very fortunate so far that many drivers heeded our warnings and got off the roads early, but we are nowhere near out of the woods yet. The prediction totals are increasing for many areas and that could very well continue to change as the storm progresses so please stay off the roads if you possibly can until conditions improve.”

"By 9 p.m., a second, more potent batch of precipitation will come," he said. "Most of that will be in the form of sleet or freezing rain."

WRAL Chief Meteorologist Greg Fishel said a wide swath across the central part of the state holds the greatest potential for a quarter-inch to a half-inch of ice accumulation. The weather should intensify through the evening before tapering off.

"Everything of substance should be pretty much over by 7 o'clock (in the morning)," he said.

"Stay inside," Maze said. "It will be very cold and the roads won't be all that great."

“Please use this time while the roads are still relatively clear to a get safe place for the evening,” Scott Hecht, Public Works director, said. “Forecasts are trending toward the flakes turning to sleet and freezing rain, at which point we believe may lead to slick spots, downed limbs and power lines.”

At Raleigh-Durham International Airport, light snow is falling. More than 100 flights have been canceled.

WRAL meteorologist Mike Maze said freezing rain is expected to follow and the evening wears on. Freezing rain presents the biggest danger because it will fall on frozen ground, creating ice.

“I think the primary event, especially around the Triangle, is going to be freezing rain, which could be crippling for the area,” he said. “You’re not going to go anywhere tomorrow. If you think you’re going to work, going to school, you’re not.”