With snow falling across North Carolina most of the day, Governor Cooper is reminding everyone to be cautious, and stay off the roads as much as possible.
"This snow storm may be moving a little slower than we thought, but that means its impacts on North Carolina will likely be even greater," Gov. Cooper said. "The snow is pretty, but it can be dangerous. If you don't have to brave the roads, please don't."
State troopers had responded to more than 700 service calls, including more than 500 crashes, as of this morning.
Meteorologists expect four to six inches of snow across much of central North Carolina, with higher amounts possible in some areas. Lesser amounts ranging from one to two inches are expected in the mountains, foothills and the coastal plain. A hard freeze is expected Wednesday night, which means travel will remain treacherous into Thursday.
Central North Carolina is under a Winter Storm Warning, while the western and eastern areas are under a Winter Weather Advisory. Emergency management officials said all of North Carolina will be impacted by this storm so it is important for residents to stay tuned to their local forecast and heed advice from local authorities.
NC Department of Transportation crews were able to prep the major roads across the state over the past two days, putting down more than two million gallons of salt brine. Most counties brought crews in overnight and are able to plow major roads as soon as snow accumulates about an inch.
Road crews will work through the day and into the night, and in areas where it becomes too cold to effectively plow, they will switch to putting more salt on the roads to get them ready to plow first thing Thursday morning.
“Statewide we have nearly 1,500 employees with more than 1,000 trucks and graders ready to clear roads, with assistance from more than 540 contractor trucks,” said Transportation Secretary Jim Trogdon. “Our salt and sand supplies were replenished across the state from the storm earlier this month so plenty of those materials are on hand.”
Gov. Cooper declared a state of emergency yesterday to enable expedited storm response and recovery. The declaration also triggers the state’s price gouging laws. He also issued an executive order waiving truck weight, size and hours of service restrictions to ease movement of supplies and equipment.
The State Emergency Operations Center activated this morning to coordinate storm response throughout the impacted areas. Storm response activities include:
- State troopers are marking abandoned vehicles along the roadway and coordinate with local law enforcement to ensure no one is stranded.
- State troopers and transportation crews will work to clear disabled vehicles quickly so they don’t impede traffic.
- Adverse weather policy is in effect for state employees. State employees should coordinate with their supervisors.
Follow NC Emergency Management and NCDOT on Facebook and Twitter for the latest storm updates. Real-time weather and road conditions, as well as winter safety tips, can be found on the free ReadyNC mobile app or online at readync.org.
Travelers are urged to go to drivenc.gov for up-to-date roadway conditions. Motorists are reminded NOT to call 911 or the State Highway Patrol Communication Centers for roadway conditions.