Flakes haven’t fallen here yet but right now we’re on the edge of the 5″-9″ band of snow, according to the latest from WRAL. Every forecast model keeps adding snow. What once seemed light is now looking significant.
Here’s the NWS Winter Storm Warning from noon:
URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
1217 PM EST SAT DEC 25 2010…SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT…
.AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL APPROACH AND CAUSE PRECIPITATION TO OVERSPREAD CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA THROUGH THIS EVENING. A STORM SYSTEM DEVELOPING IN THE GULF OF MEXICO THIS AFTERNOON WILL INTENSIFY RAPIDLY AFTER MIDNIGHT…AND MOVE VERY CLOSE TO THE NORTH CAROLINA COAST ON SUNDAY.
NCZ007>011-024>028-040>043-075>078-084>086-088-089-260130-
/O.CON.KRAH.WS.W.0005.101225T2300Z-101227T0500Z/
PERSON-GRANVILLE-VANCE-WARREN-HALIFAX-ORANGE-DURHAM-FRANKLIN-NASH-
EDGECOMBE-CHATHAM-WAKE-JOHNSTON-WILSON-MOORE-LEE-HARNETT-WAYNE-
RICHMOND-SCOTLAND-HOKE-CUMBERLAND-SAMPSON-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…ROXBORO…OXFORD…HENDERSON…
WARRENTON…ROANOKE RAPIDS…CHAPEL HILL…DURHAM…LOUISBURG…
NASHVILLE…ROCKY MOUNT…PITTSBORO…RALEIGH…SMITHFIELD…
WILSON…SOUTHERN PINES…SANFORD…LILLINGTON…GOLDSBORO…
ROCKINGHAM…LAURINBURG…RAEFORD…FAYETTEVILLE…CLINTON
1217 PM EST SAT DEC 25 2010…WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO MIDNIGHT EST SUNDAY NIGHT…
* LOCATIONS AFFECTED: THE EASTERN PIEDMONT…INCLUDING THE TRIANGLE REGION…THE SANDHILLS AND THE COASTAL PLAIN OF NORTH CAROLINA.
* PRECIPITATION TYPES: THE PRECIPITATION IS LIKELY TO BEGIN AS A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WITH MAINLY RAIN SOUTHEAST OF WILSON…SMITHFIELD AND FAYETTEVILLE. THE PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO CHANGE TO ALL SNOW FROM NORTHWEST
TO SOUTHEAST TONIGHT… WITH ALL SNOW FALLING AFTER MIDNIGHT AND CONTINUING ON SUNDAY.* ACCUMULATION: BETWEEN 3 TO 6 INCHES OF SNOW… WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS… IS EXPECTED TO ACCUMULATE BY MIDNIGHT MONDAY. THE HIGHEST ACCUMULATION WILL OCCUR AROUND THE TRIANGLE EASTWARD TO THE ROCKY MOUNT AND ROANOKE RAPIDS VICINITIES.
* TIMING: THE PRECIPITATION IS LIKELY TO OVERSPREAD THE NORTHERN PIEDMONT ALONG AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM NEAR SILER CITY TO LOUISBURG TO ROANOKE RAPIDS THIS AFTERNOON… THEN SPREAD SOUTHEASTWARD ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE WARNING AREA TONIGHT. THE SNOW WILL DIMINISH FROM WEST TO EAST ON SUNDAY.
* IMPACTS: SNOW IS EXPECTED TO BRING HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT THE AREA. ROADS ARE EXPECTED TO BE SNOW COVERED WITH SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW BY EARLY SUNDAY.
* TEMPERATURES: TEMPERATURES WILL CLIMB INTO THE 40S THIS AFTERNOON… THEN FALL WITH THE ONSET OF PRECIPITATION BUT REMAIN ABOVE FREEZING THROUGH SUNSET. TEMPERATURES SHOULD FALL TO NEAR FREEZING BY EARLY EVENING IN THE TRIANGLE AND THE NORTHERN COASTAL PLAIN WITH TEMPERATURES APPROACHING FREEZING OVERNIGHT INTO EARLY SUNDAY IN THE SANDHILLS AND THE SOUTHERN COASTAL PLAIN. TEMPERATURES WILL EVENTUALLY FALL INTO THE UPPER 20S TO LOWER 30S BY DAYBREAK SUNDAY. HIGHS ON SUNDAY WILL STRUGGLE TO GET MUCH ABOVE FREEZING. LOWS SUNDAY NIGHT WILL BE IN THE LOWER 20S.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.
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PLEASE REPORT SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS DIRECTLY TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY CALLING 1-877-633-6772.