Tracking ice, sleet, snow and bitter cold

Precipitation will begin ramping up by Saturday evening, though some spots out west could see sleet or snow as early as late Saturday afternoon. At first, impacts should be fairly limited. Travel during the early evening hours may still be manageable, but that window won’t last long.

The bigger concerns arrive Saturday night, when more moisture moves in. That’s when conditions start to go downhill quickly. We’re expecting a mix of sleet and snow initially, especially across northern areas, before the precipitation transitions over to freezing rain by Sunday.  Sleet will play a major role in this forecast, but I do believe freezing rain will be just as equal.  For the Piedmont and areas of the Foothills we will stick with at least 0.50″+ along with sleet/snow of at least 1-2″, The High Country more snow and sleet with 3-6″ and ice accumulation near a quarter.

Once that changeover happens, travel could become dangerous and, in some cases, nearly impossible. Ice will build up fast on untreated roads, like side streets and bridges, overpasses, creating extremely slick conditions.

Temperatures are expected to stay below freezing from Saturday evening all the way through Monday afternoon. That prolonged stretch of cold means whatever ice forms won’t be melting anytime soon. It will continue to accumulate on trees, power lines, and elevated surfaces.

 Just a half inch of ice can add more than 500 pounds of extra weight to power lines.

This is not a “light glaze” situation. This is a high-impact winter storm that will knock out power and make conditions unsafe through much of Sunday and beyond. Now is the time to prepare and stay with us with the latest updates.