Crews with the North Carolina Department of Transportation will begin brining highways Thursday to prepare for another weekend winter storm.
According to the NCDOT, the snow that falls between Friday evening and Sunday will be easier to get off the roads than last week's ice, but people should still be cautious.
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"People still need to be very careful out on the roads," said Kim Deaner, a spokesperson with the NCDOT. "We will clear this snow off easier than we've had in the process of clearing the accumulated sleet off ... but as we head into this next storm, we need to be vigilant."
The NCDOT said it has all the salt and brine necessary to get ready for another winter storm that could dump inches of snow on the Triangle this weekend.
The NCDOT budgets for winter weather around August. If it ever runs low on either crews or salt, the agency can pull from other parts of the state or dip into emergency funds.
“This storm does appear to look like it may impact just the eastern and central parts of North Carolina, so our western crews will get a break,” Deaner said. “If they're needed, they'll come in and help in the central part of the state.”
The state was able to clear off roads easier this past weekend because less people were out on the roads. They are asking for you to do the same this weekend, and stay home.
Local towns and cities are also gearing up for another round of wintry weather.
Raleigh will bring out the brine trucks again on Thursday. The city has about 50,000 gallons of brine in storage, and have trucks ready to go to make more brine in case it’s needed.
“Our salt barns are completely full, and we ordered ahead, so when the last round of weather came through, we had a delivery that very day. We filled up every truck, so we weren’t ready with every truck but we had reserves in the barn,” said assistant city manager Michael Moore.
Raleigh’s transportation staff work in shifts to ensure essential workers are well-rested. More than 75 people worked two 12-hour shifts last weekend.
“We prepare and train for these things. We make sure we’ve got things in place early. We don’t wait until the last minute so it’s not a scramble,” Moore said.
Holly Springs depleted its inventory of salt in an effort to melt the ice left behind last weekend. A new shipment of 125 tons of salt came in on Tuesday night, so the town has everything it needs to take care of what could be coming.
“It has been difficult sourcing salt,” Holly Springs public works director Paige Scott said. “It’s been high in demand. There’s been a lot of storms impacting the North, and it’s all the same suppliers that we’re all pulling from.”
The town goes off history and prepares for about three to four winter events per season. If there are fewer, they save up the inventory.
