(1/27 PM Update) Winter Weather: Fri & Sat | Eastern North Carolina Now

News Release:

Good Afternoon Everyone,

    The latest update from the National Weather Service (NWS) can be found in the email below and attached briefing. Notable changes to the forecast for Beaufort County included:

• A slight shift southeast in the snow line, resulting in changes to the anticipated snow accumulations for areas of Beaufort County.

    While forecast models are beginning to merge in likeness, they are still not in agreement as to snow accumulations, so forecasted totals could continue to change, especially over the next 12 to 24 hours.



    Current Beaufort County Forecast

    Precipitation

    Rain chances will begin to increase after 1pm Friday, with rain likely after 7pm. A transition to snow is expected after 10 pm for most areas of the Beaufort County, and continue through 3pm Saturday. Beaufort County is currently forecasted to receive a varying amount of snowfall. 2 to 3 inches of snow is currently forecasted for areas north of Hwy 264, with 1 to 2 inches for areas south. Our heaviest, and most widespread snowfall is expected to occur between 1am and sunrise Saturday.

    Winds

    North winds will begin to increase after sunrise Saturday becoming sustained between 10 and 20 mph, and continuing through the daylight hours. Frequent gust between 20 and 30 mph are expected during this time. North winds between 5 and 10 mph will continue through noon Sunday before transitioning to the south throughout the afternoon.

    These winds along with below freezing temperatures will create windchills in the low twenties through sunset Saturday, and single digits through noon Sunday.

    Anticipated Hazards / Things To Prepare For

• Dangerous Road Conditions: We anticipate road conditions will deteriorate quickly Friday night and remain treacherous through the weekend as temps are expected to remain at or below freezing through Monday. We encourage everyone to avoid any unnecessary travel during this time.
• Power Outages: While this system is not currently forecasted to pose a significant ice hazard, power isolated outages are still possible and expected. Please ensure that you, your family, friends and neighbors are prepared to withstand cold temperatures and other winter elements in the event of a power outage.
• Cold Temperatures: Again, temperatures are expected to be at or well below freezing Saturday and Sunday. Please make the necessary arrangements to provide safety for outdoor pets / livestock, and protect any vulnerable infrastructure such as exposed water lines from freezing. We also encourage everyone to dress appropriately when going outdoors, and use caution when walking on frozen surfaces such as sidewalks, driveways, entry steps, etc.

    The NWS will be hosting a series of live webinars pertaining to this storm as follows:

• Thursday January 27th at 345 PM
• Friday January 28th at 900 AM

    You can register for all of the webinars using this same link.

    Our next update is scheduled for 6pm today. We encourage everyone to continue to monitor local media outlets for more information.

    As always, thank you all for what you do to keep Beaufort County informed, prepared and safe.


    Chris Newkirk
       Deputy Director,     Beaufort County Emergency Services

    1420 Highland Dr
    Washington, NC 27889


Good Morning,

    No major changes to our snowfall forecast, with Winter Storm Watches issued this morning for counties along US Hwy 64 and 264. There is still an unusually large range of possible accumulation amounts, but we continue to hone in on the most likely amounts. Please continue to utilize www.weather.gov/mhx/winter, where you can see a reasonable worst case scenario, along with various snowfall thresholds both on a map or in a table.

    We still expect snowfall impacts to hold off until after the evening commute Friday.

    We have also added more detail on the coastal flooding threat, and the expected hard refreeze of any wet surfaces as temperatures will be very cold Saturday night.

    Thanks,

    NWS Morehead City


   NOAA - National Weather Service
   Newport/Morehead City, NC Weather Forecast Office
   533 Roberts Rd
   Newport, NC 28570