Snow Falls Across the Triangle

Light snow flurries began to fall Wednesday evening across the Triangle, according to WRAL Meteorologist Greg Fishel, and the National Weather Service warned that scattered areas could see an inch of snow in a half-hour or less.

A cold front moving through the Triangle kept precipitation lingering, and overnight lows were predicted to be just below the freezing mark. Together, snow flurries are expected between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m., Fishel said.

"By tomorrow morning, a little bit of snow (could be) on the ground as far south and east as right around the airport," Fishel said.

As temperatures drop below freezing after 1 or 2 a.m., leftover moisture on the roads will freeze. This will create black ice conditions. Black ice is a term to describe a situation in which the roads look wet but are actually ice patches.

Driving overnight and early Thursday morning may be treacherous, especially on bridges, overpasses and less-traveled roadways. Temperatures should warm above freezing after 9 a.m.

WFMY News 2 in Greensboro reported up to 1 inch of snow across Forsyth County Wednesday night. Light snow was falling in Durham, Cary, Chapel Hill and Raleigh as of 12:30 a.m. Thursday.

A large area of showers will move east through the central Piedmont through 1 a.m.," the Weather Service said in a statement issued in Raleigh at 9:50 p.m. "Embedded in the large area of snow showers are several small bands of heavy snow."

Total accumulation could be 1 to 2 inches in those areas, the government forecasters said.

Fishel's forecast called for St. Valentine's Day to be sunny and cool, with highs in the low- to mid-50s.

He said meteorologists expect rain to move into the area again over the weekend.

The Triangle received a little over an inch of rain late Tuesday and Wednesday, but Falls Lake, Raleigh's primary reservoir, remained about 8½ feet below normal. The rainfall deficit stood at 9.67 inches as of Wednesday evening.

Wednesday's high was 56 degrees, and the low was 38.