The weather is looking "iffy" for in the morning and just wanted to make sure everybody is keeping an eye on that.  We're right on the line of where it could be rain, frozen, or inches of snow... staring Sat. AM. WRAL is even saying there's a small band (right over my area and a little east and north of me) that could get 6-12 inches!  Wake Co. (and many others) are already under a Winter Storm Watch starting at 6AM Saturday. I hope this doesn't stop us from gathering in the morning, but Barb, I don't drive in "iffy" weather!!  Will just have to see what the morning brings. Y'all get yer groceries... I'm glad I don't have to go to the grocery store today!  LOL

'Measurable Snow' Possible Saturday

 

Posted: Today at 6:05 a.m. Updated: 57 minutes ago

Raleigh — The Triangle could see “measurable snow" Saturday followed by a bitter cold Sunday, WRAL Meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner predicted.

“This looks like it’s really developing into something that could be a major issue for us tomorrow,” she said. "If we get that measurable snow, it's going to stick around."

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for the Triangle and other areas across the state Saturday morning through afternoon.

“Snowfall accumulations of 2 to 4 inches are possible … which could cause significant impacts to travel,” the weather service reported.

Precipitation is expected to overspread central North Carolina during the day Saturday as much colder air heads into the area from the west.

Most of the precipitation is expected to fall as snow across the western Piedmont. Further east toward the northern Piedmont and northeast coastal plain, the precipitation will likely start out as a cold rain Saturday morning but should change over to snow during the late morning or early afternoon.

The "foul weather fiends" might take revenge for Thursday's lack of snowfall accumulations by dumping the white stuff on a narrow band of central North Carolina on Saturday, WRAL's Chief Meteorologist Greg Fishel said.

Although "a high weather system will protect us from any foul weather fiends" on Friday, "we have another event headed our way Saturday," Fishel said.

"It looks like this system this weekend has the potential to pack quite a bit more punch ... compared to the nuisance event we had [Thursday] morning," he predicted.

The combination of a snow-producing system from the north and a moisture-laden from the Gulf of Mexico, though, will end both those dry conditions and mild temperatures on Saturday. Rain will likely begin early Saturday morning, turn into snow by the late afternoon and continue falling until late Saturday night.

"It'll be interesting to see where the snow band sets up, because somebody could get quite a pile out of that," Fishel said. "Notice how narrow that heavy snow band is, so even if it were to happen like that a slight shift either direction could make a huge difference on what anybody gets."

A blast of Arctic air will follow the snowfall, possibly dropping temperatures to a low of 14 degrees on Saturday night and 10 degrees on Sunday night. The wind chill could make it feel like zero degrees on Sunday morning.

"And then it gets bitterly cold, so all of this (snow, rain and ice) becomes part of the pavement and sticks around for a while," Fishel said. "Old Man Winter (is) finally showing up."

• Web Editors: Anne Leake, Kelly Hinchcliffe

It's not looking like anything will be worrysome till noon...  so hopefully we can gather and dispurse before the winter weather.  I am planning to be there with bells on!  But I am like you, I am not risking body work on my car to see you lovely folks!  I like yall n all but, I don't see anyone forking over money to repair a damaged Honda.....  So hopefully the inclimate weather can hold off till 1ish??

~misslaura

Actually, Elizabeth Gardner came on the radio this morning for a "special report" and said it actually looks like it will start between 8 -10am and possibly earlier. It will begin as rain but will "very quickly, within an hour" (her words) switch to snow and continue throughout the rest of the day. This was her report on 101.5 this morning at 8:30am. I would love to meet you guys but was supposed to drive my daughter to a weekend church retreat on Saturday morning. Now I'm not sure she's going to get there because it means driving west, right into the "eye of the storm." I've totalled two cars on ice and I have no intention have giving ice a third shot at me!

Looks like it may be a no go for me then. I don't want to drive up and get stuck in bad weather coming from or to Fayetteville. I just got a new 08 Accord and haven't even made a payment on it and that would not be a good day for me if I wreck it....lol. My SO wrecked his brand new Mustang  a few years back after driving in bad weather. I told him not to drive and what did he do...lol. Anyhow, y'all keep me posted and all. Thanks.  Lisa

OK, I've yet to experience "snow in North Carolina".  Wendy, were you serious that we need to stock up on groceries?  I mean, should I expect things to be shut down for days, or what?  I'm used to stocking up before a hurricane...but not before snow!  :)  Educate me North Carolinians!

Honey, Folks around here go WILD when there's even mention of the word "snow" or "sleet" or anything close to that.  You local grocery store may already be out of bread and milk, and I'm not kidding.  We've had too many "events" in the past when the weather forecasters were SO wrong and folks were caught off guard w/out basics.  So any possibility and we all go in a frenzy.  If you've never experienced it, I suggest you head out this afternoon (post work rush hour) and go to the grocery store, if you are in an area that "might" or even "might not" get some "weather" tomorrow. We've had weather where we were predicted to get virtually nothing that became ice storms and we were out of power upwards of a week, and in some cases, longer. TRIANGLE CAUGHT OFF GUARD Don't know how long you've been here, but it was just 2 years ago TOMORROW when one of those crazy weather events happened and people around Raleigh were literally stranded in their cars OVERNIGHT... it happened as folks were heading home from work one evening.  The roads in an instant froze up and became un-driveable. I know one lady who sat and had to pee on herself in her car because traffic, due to the ice that quickly formed on roads, left all the highways around here at a standstill.  I'm sure hundreds of others did the same.  Children were stranded in schools or out in busses and had to stay over.  Some folks couldn't find their children for hours... it was awful.

Icy Roads, Gridlock Strand Students At Wake Schools

 

You guys be careful out there tomorrow. We will just be getting rain here on the coast I think. Loved the sugar comparison. I am at 11 bags!!!! Yay!!!

Oy Vey!  Sounds like quite a fiasco!  I technically lived here 2 years ago, but spent the entire winter in Wisconsin that year, so I was pretty out of the NC loop.   I'm pretty stocked up on basics, so I should be OK.  Oh, except dog food.  Well, we'll make it work.  It looks like my neck of the woods should be OK.  It's just the Raleigh thing I'm not sure about.  I guess I'll wait until the morning to decide.  I know I can drive in snow, but it's the ice that's a real concern.  I don't care if you're skilled or not, hitting a patch of blac**** leaves you pretty helpless.  Hopefully the storm doesn't roll in until later, because I really want to see everyone tomorrow!  :)

Remember.... you might can drive on snow, but it's the locals that can't you have to worry about out there.  LOL

Wendy you did a good job with the explanation of why folks round here get crazy as a pig in you know what when there is mention of snow...  let me add this piece...  FILL UP YOUR CAR WITH GAS, and make sure you have enough toilet paper to last....    Reason being gas station employees are not the most poinaint when it come to going to work in the snow, so count on at least half if not 75% of gas stations being closed if there is even a dusting of snow.  And the toilet paper thing well that just goes without explanation I would hope... that is my one OCD thing...  lots of TP....