Be Prepared for Winter Weather: Governor

Gov. Roy Cooper is urging everyone to be prepared for the coming winter storm.

Northeastern North Carolina could get anywhere from 3 to 6 inches of snow starting Thursday evening and whiteout conditions are possible along the coast due to heavy snow and gusty winds. Piedmont and mountain areas could see 1 to 3 inches of snow and the Charlotte area could get 1 to 2 inches.

“The state is getting ready, and everyone else should too,” said Cooper in a news release Thursday. “Don’t let the temperature right now fool you, because it’s going to get colder and this winter storm will affect most parts of North Carolina. Please pay close attention to your local forecast and be prepared.”

Close to 1,000 North Carolina Department of Transportation workers spent Wednesday preparing their equipment and loading up supplies like salt and brine.

On Wednesday, more than 300,000 gallons of brine was spread along major highways, bridges and traditional trouble spots, with more planned for Thursday in some areas. Crews will most likely be working through Thursday night and into Friday morning to clear roads, according to the governor’s office.

The State Emergency Operations Center was to activate Thursday afternoon to monitor the storm and to be ready to respond to county or local government needs. Other State Emergency Response Team partners to include the utilities are working together at the Emergency Operations Center to deploy resources where needed. The North Carolina National Guard has soldiers on standby should they be needed.

If traveling is required, the State Highway Patrol recommends the following precautions:

• Reduce your speed. Driving at the regular speed limit will reduce your ability to control the car if you begin to slide.
  Leave plenty of room between you and other vehicles.
• Bridges and overpasses accumulate ice first. Approach them with extreme caution and do not apply your brakes while on the bridge.
• If you do begin to slide, take your foot off the gas and turn the steering wheel IN THE DIRECTION OF THE SLIDE. Do NOT apply the brakes as that will cause further loss of control of the car.
• If snow or ice accumulates on top of your vehicle, make sure to clear it off before driving. This helps avoid it blowing off and hitting other motorists potentially causing an accident.
• Travelers are asked NOT to call 911 or the State Highway Patrol for road conditions. The lines must remain clear for emergency calls.

For more information on how to prepare for winter storms, use the ReadyNC.org website. For the latest road conditions you can visit DriveNC.gov.

.@NCSHP shares how to prepare for hazardous road conditions caused by winter weather.
? Monitor local weather reports
⬇️ Decrease speed
? Increase following distance
? Prepare for delays
? Check https://t.co/xFpfSPvKiX for road conditions#ncwx #severewx #ReadyNC #ncprep pic.twitter.com/4TlTMP3Gno

— NC Highway Patrol (@NCSHP) February 20, 2020