Last Updated on February 17, 2025 3:49 pm
RALEIGH – The N.C. Department of Transportation wants people to collect emergency supplies and food now so they don’t have to travel by midweek when a winter storm could bring snow, ice and dangerous travel conditions.
“Now is the time to get ready by getting any food, water or emergency supplies you may need,” said NCDOT Secretary Joey Hopkins. “It’s better to be prepared so you don’t have to be out of the roads later this week.”
The National Weather Service’s Monday morning forecast indicated an increased chance for a winter storm to impact central North Carolina starting Wednesday, with lingering impacts through the rest of the week.
As of Monday morning, the forecast said more snow was likely for north central North Carolina, while areas south of U.S. 64 were more likely to get a combination of snow, ice and freezing rain. However, there is still uncertainty as to how the storm system will track and what areas could receive snow, ice or rain.
NCDOT staff are prepared for what Mother Nature may bring. Most maintenance crews in NCDOT highway divisions across the state started Monday spreading a saltwater mixture called brine on state-maintained roads, including interstates, other highways and primary routes, and some secondary roads. Brine helps prevent ice from bonding to the pavement. Some maintenance crews in central North Carolina and closer to the coast are readying their chain saws in case icy accumulation topples some trees onto roads.
NCDOT maintenance crews begin preparing for winter weather as early as the fall by cleaning, repairing and testing equipment, reviewing snow removal routes and stocking up on necessary supplies such as salt and sand.
The agency has about 2,500 specially trained employees and contract crews, and hundreds of trucks that can be equipped with plows and spreaders used to pretreat roads and remove snow and ice after a storm hits.
NCDOT staff who oversee NC By Train passenger rail, ferry systems and the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles will monitor the weather and determine whether to adjust any schedules based on the storm’s impacts.
For real-time travel conditions, people should visit DriveNC.gov.
