Raleigh breaks record for most consecutive hours of freezing temps

At 3 p.m. Saturday, Raleigh broke a three-decades-old cold weather record.

Temperatures at the airport dropped below freezing at 2 a.m. on Dec. 31 and haven't bobbed into thawed territory yet.

WRAL meteorologist Mike Moss said the high temperature for Sunday is forecasted to be 32 degrees, but it could sneak past the mark, ending the streak. If the mercury doesn't rise above freezing, though, the record could extend into Monday.

Governor Roy Cooper released a statement Saturday afternoon that said while roads continues to improve from the week's winter storm, extremely cold temperatures mean ice and snow linger and drivers should caution.

“Road crews are making great progress clearing ice and snow but we could use a little help from Mother Nature with some warmer temperatures,” Gov. Cooper said. “Drivers and even pedestrians need to continue to be careful. Even roads that look clear can have slick spots.”

A state of emergency Cooper signed Wednesday remains in effect through the weekend, along with an executive order waiving truck weight, size and hours of service restrictions to ease movement of heating fuel, supplies and equipment and to allow restoration of utility services.