Following Winter Storm Gianna’s snowfall in the Triangle on Saturday, law enforcement and government agencies are encouraging residents locally and across North Carolina to stay off the roads for Sunday.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office and North Carolina Department of Transportation each shared updates early Sunday morning to detail the road conditions and plowing efforts — with both saying snow and ice on the roads would make travel challenging for any drivers.
The sheriff’s office posted at 6 a.m. that both Interstate 40 and Interstate 85 in Orange County were still “covered in snow” while other major roads in the county like North Carolina Highways 54 and 70 were plowed overnight. The Town of Chapel Hill reported most of its main roads as “in progress” for clearing on Sunday morning, while NCDOT got work on further clearing at least the top inches of snow off of the interstates, highways and state roads.
Even with those efforts, however, the sheriff’s office said plowed roads are still “covered and extremely slick” from Saturday’s snowfall and any previous precipitation during the week. The 6 a.m. update said most secondary roads are “completely covered” in snow.” NCDOT, meanwhile, urged people to stay home unless you are emergency personnel or experiencing an emergency.
Statewide, travel on Saturday led to hundreds of stranded vehicles but very few major pile-ups or deadly crashes. The North Carolina Highway Patrol said Saturday night it reported 750 vehicle collisions and more than 800 calls for service during the day — but zero weather-related fatal collisions on highways.
Many areas in the Triangle saw multiple inches of snow fall on Saturday, with Chapel Hill and Durham reporting between 2-3 inches and areas further north, like Hillsborough, seeing up to 6 inches. The conditions were optimal for accumulation following frigid temperatures in the wake of Winter Storm Fern, which brought sleet and wintry mix that failed to fully melt for much of the week.
Winter Weather Driving Tips
For those who do venture onto snowy or icy roads for “absolutely necessary” drives, NCDOT requests people drive at slower speeds, leave plenty of room between themselves and others, and clear all ice or snow from a vehicle before traveling. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office encourages people to travel with layers of clothing and blankets for if you become stranded in your vehicle. If you cannot make it to your destination, safely pull off the road, remain in your vehicle and call for help. More safety tips regarding winter weather driving and traffic updates from the state department can be found here.
For road closures or updates on crashes, both the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and North Carolina State Highway Patrol share regular updates during inclement weather on their Facebook pages, and the Town of Chapel Hill shares alerts on its Emergency Updates page.
Featured photo via the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
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