NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
417 AM EST SAT DEC 25 2010
..SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL
NORTH CAROLINA ON LATE TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT...
AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL APPROACH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA
TODAY AND PRODUCE SOME LIGHT SNOW OR A LIGHT MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW
THIS AFTERNOON. A STORM SYSTEM DEVELOPING IN THE GULF OF MEXICO THIS
AFTERNOON WILL INTENSIFY RAPIDLY AFTER MIDNIGHT...AND MOVE VERY
CLOSE TO THE CAROLINA COAST ON SUNDAY.
NCZ007>011-024>028-040>043-075>078-084>086-088-089-252145-
/O.UPG.KRAH.WS.A.0004.101225T2100Z-101226T2200Z/
/O.COR.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
417 AM EST SAT DEC 25 2010
..WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO
MIDNIGHT EST SUNDAY NIGHT...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RALEIGH HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO MIDNIGHT
EST SUNDAY NIGHT. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.
* 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 DURING THE EVENING WITH ALL SNOW FALLING AFTER
MIDNIGHT AND CONTINUING THROUGH SUNDAY AND SUNDAY EVENING.
* ACCUMULATION: BETWEEN 3 TO 6 INCHES OF SNOW IS EXPECTED TO
ACCUMULATE BY MIDNIGHT MONDAY. ACCUMULATIONS WILL TEND TO BE ON
THE LOWER END OF THIS RANGE IN THE TRIANGLE REGION AND THE
SANDHILLS WITH ACCUMULATION TOTALS ON THE HIGHER END OF THE
RANGE IN THE COASTAL PLAIN. ISOLATED AMOUNTS IN EXCESS OF 8
INCHES ARE POSSIBLE NEAR AND EAST OF INTERSTATE 95.
* TIMING: THE PRECIPITATION IS LIKELY TO BEGIN AS A LIGHT MIX OF
RAIN AND SNOW OR JUST RAIN LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
THE PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO CHANGE TO ALL SNOW DURING THE
EVENING. THERE MAY BE A LULL IN THE PRECIPITATION AFTER MIDNIGHT
WITH A SURGE OF MORE SIGNIFICANT AND HEAVIER SNOW SPREADING
NORTH ON SUNDAY MORNING. THE SNOW WILL DIMINISH FROM WEST TO
EAST LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
* IMPACTS: SNOW IS EXPECTED TO BRING HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS
THROUGHOUT THE AREA. ROADS ARE EXPECTED TO BE SNOW COVERED WITH
SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW AFTER MIDNIGHT SUNDAY. THE MOST DIFFICULT
DRIVING CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED NEAR AND EAST OF INTERSTATE 95
DURING THE DAY SUNDAY.
* TEMPERATURES: TEMPERATURES WILL REACH THE LOWER TO MID 40S THIS
AFTERNOON AND 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
LATE THIS EVENING 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.
