Snow (and maybe ice) in the forecast, as winter storm heads to Raleigh, central NC
Snow lovers in Raleigh and much of central North Carolina may finally get some satisfaction this weekend as a low pressure system from the Gulf of Mexico collides with Arctic air.
However, the track and timing of the storm still have forecasters uncertain of whether the system will produce mostly snow or a combination of snow, sleet and freezing rain.
What’s the forecast for Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill?
As of Wednesday afternoon, the National Weather Service has a Hazardous Weather Outlook in place for Raleigh, the Triangle and all of central North Carolina.
In addition to temperatures that are running as much as 12 degrees below average for this time of year, there will be a northwest wind of up to 9 mph on Wednesday and up to 13 mph on Thursday, with gusts both days of 21 to 24 mph.
That means wind chill values as low as 10 degrees, meteorologists say.
Snow is expected to develop across the region Friday afternoon and evening before switching over to a “wintry mix” of precipitation including rain, snow and possibly freezing rain and sleet Friday night into Saturday morning.
How much snow will the Raleigh area get?
That’s a great question, meteorologists say, and they wish they could tell you. But it depends on how the low-pressure system tracks and with two days of transit ahead, computer models differed Wednesday on how far inland the center of the storm will go.
As of Wednesday afternoon, forecasters said, total precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch are possible in the Triangle before it all stops by around 7 a.m. Saturday.
In simplest terms, the Weather Service said:
▪ If the center of the storm takes an inland track, passing over the Coastal Plan, snow likely would be limited to the far western part of the state and areas to the east would be more likely to get rain or even thunderstorms along with gusty winds.
▪ If the storm’s center tracks near the North Carolina coast — say, 50 to 100 miles off shore — that would allow for more sustained northerly winds over the Piedmont and a more prolonged period of snow there. The Coastal plan might see snow in that case, but along the coast it would be mostly rain.
▪ If the center of the storm stays further offshore — more than 100 miles — its most significant effects would be in the Coastal Plain, with little to no effect in the mountains or the Piedmont.
This story was originally published January 8, 2025 at 12:43 PM with the headline "Snow (and maybe ice) in the forecast, as winter storm heads to Raleigh, central NC."
