A Winter Weather Advisory was issued Thursday by the National Weather Service of Raleigh for Richmond County and the surrounding area that would be in effect until 4 a.m. Friday.
The advisory called for snow across the southern Piedmont and coastal plain, with hazards including rain that was forecasted to transition to heavy, wet snow that could accumulate on grassy surfaces.
Snow accumulations amounts could be as much as 1 to 2 inches, forecasters said Thursday. Roads may remain wet and can become slushy. Temperatures near freezing by early morning could lead to roads quickly becoming slick and hazardous, according to the National Weather Service. Travel may remain dangerous through most of Friday morning.
A Winter Weather Advisory means that periods of snow will cause travel difficulties. The NWS said drivers should be prepared for slippery roads and limited visibility and use caution while driving.
North Carolina’s electric cooperatives are on standby and ready to restore power as quickly as possible if outages should occur as a result of the predicted winter storm.
“The state’s 26 electric cooperatives are carefully monitoring this winter weather system and are prepared for possible power outages in the 93 counties served by the cooperatives,” said Jane Pritchard, director of corporate communications for the North Carolina Association of Electric Cooperatives.
Because North Carolina’s electric cooperatives are located in the communities they serve, restoration crews are always on-site and can begin work immediately.
Electric cooperative members are asked to call their cooperative directly if they experience a disruption in power. For a complete list of phone numbers to report outages and a list of counties served by each co-op, refer to www.ncelectriccooperatives.com.
North Carolina’s electric cooperatives provide energy to 2.5 million people.
Rockingham Hardware, Inc. owner Tommy Wilson said his customers discuss the weather with him, and most of them wait to see what will happen before purchasing rock salt, shovels or even sleds.
“We are ready, though,” said Wilson. “We have the things we have to have. Two years ago in January we sold 92 sleds in two hours, so we have to have them. Right now we have 96 sleds in stock.”
Meanwhile, at Food King grocery store on East Washington Street in Rockingham, customers on Thursday bought more milk, eggs and bread than usual, according to Manager Robert Williams.
“People say it’s going to snow — and (we) need it to so it will kill some of the bacteria in the air,” said Williams.
— Staff Writer Dawn M. Kurry can be reached at 910-997-3111, ext. 15, or by email at dkurry@civitasmedia.com.
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