Schools delay classes, close as bridges remain icy

Despite Monday's wintry precipitation, ground temperatures around central North Carolina were too warm overnight to cause many problems on the roads Tuesday morning, but some bridges around the region were icy.

Posted 10:03 a.m. Mar 13, 2018 — Updated 6:07 p.m. Jul 13, 2018

Elizabeth Gardner

, WRAL meteorolgist

RALEIGH, N.C. — Despite Monday's wintry precipitation, ground temperatures around central North Carolina were too warm overnight to cause many problems on the roads Tuesday morning, but some bridges around the region were icy.

Ground temperatures remained in the 40s for most counties around the Triangle, said WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner, which melted most of the lingering snow and slush. But air temperatures cooled to near freezing from Ahoskie in the east all the way to Roxboro in the west.

"That colder air comes up under the bridge and makes it a lot chillier," Gardner said. "So, that's where we're seeing the problems this morning."

Wake County Public School System and Orange County Schools announced classes will operate on a three-hour delay Tuesday while Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools, Cumberland County Schools and schools in Durham and Nash counties will operate on a two-hour delay.

Johnston County Public Schools and Franklin County Schools announced schools would be closed Tuesday due to road conditions.

The cold air coming out of the northwest will continue to filter into the region Tuesday as another low pressure system works its way up the East Coast. The storm is the third nor'easter to strike the coast in the past two weeks, but it is expected to bring mostly snow to the region unlike the first two, which brought coastal flooding and widespread power outages.

Still, the storm is expected to cause delays and cancellations to and from airports in the Northeast.

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The warmer ground temperatures melted most of the wintry mess that fell Monday, but some slick spots remained. Several crashes were reported around the Triangle early Tuesday morning.

"Even though those surface roads are dry, the bridges in many spots are going to be pretty slick," said WRAL traffic reporter Brian Shrader. "You just need to take it easy as you head out."

End in sight?

Cold temperatures will linger deeper into this week, but a warmup is on the way.

The mercury will drop into the high 20s early Wednesday and Thursday morning, Gardner said. After that, morning lows will climb into the 40s and 60-degree high temperatures will return.

Wednesday's high will hit 47 degrees, and it will rise to 58 on Thursday — the normal temperature for this time of year is 63. The weekend will bring another hit of warmth, and almost-normal temperatures.

"Over the weekend, temperatures running closer to normal," Gardner said. "Still a little on the cool side."