Winter Storm Warning

Rowan County

Winter Storm Warning:

Issued at: 3:04 PM EST 1/16/08, expires at: 11:15 PM EST 1/16/08Winter storm warning remains in effect from 7 pm this evening to 7 pm est Thursday, A winter storm warning remains in effect from 7 pm this evening to 7 pm est Thursday.

A band of moderate to heavy snow and sleet is forecast to move north over the mountains and foothills late this evening into the early morning hours of Thursday. This band will likely result in a quick accumulation of 2 to 4 inches of snow and sleet across eastern slopes of the mountains and adjacent foothills. A rapid transition to sleet and freezing rain from west to east will then follow during the early morning hours on Thursday. An additional inch or two of snow is possible, mainly at higher elevations in and near the mountains. Freezing rain and sleet will then fall for much of the morning before temperatures warm to a few degrees above freezing. Where temperatures stay below freezing the longest, up to a quarter inch of ice accumulation is possible.

The timing of the wintry precipitation will likely lead to significant travel problems across the warned area Thursday morning. Wet snow and ice accumulations around a quarter of an inch may result in some trees and power lines to fall, blocking roads and leading to scattered power outages.

A winter storm warning means significant amounts of snow, sleet, and ice are expected or occurring. Strong winds are also possible. This will make travel very hazardous or impossible.