Residents are waking up to snow on Thursday morning after Winter Storm Grayson moved through North Carolina late Wednesday night.

While the snow may look nice, it is leaving behind hazardous conditions.

“Between about 7 and 10 o’clock last night, things really got hairy around here,” Chapel Hill Fire chief Matt Sullivan said during a 6:30 a.m. Thursday appearance on the Ron Stutts Show on WCHL.

“Really thankful that overnight we didn’t have a lot of people get hurt,” Sullivan said.

But no major injuries, the fire chief said, does not mean everything went smoothly. Sullivan said the town is working around many abandoned vehicles from Wednesday night.

“As they go back this morning and try to pick up their cars, we encourage them to do so safely,” Sullivan said. “And as soon as they can do so safely, to get them out of the major thoroughfares. Which will allow us to assist with cleanup and take away some of the traffic hazards.”

Thursday’s forecast calls for sunny skies but temperatures are not expected to rise above freezing.

“it’s going to stay cold,” Sullivan said, “which is going to complicate our cleanup efforts.”

Sullivan asked residents to stay off of roadways, if possible.

“If you can stay home,” Sullivan said, “please do stay home.”

He added that some drivers on Thursday morning were not heeding advice.

“You wouldn’t know there’s ice on the road the way some of these drivers are driving, and that’s treacherous,” Sullivan said. “And then we expect overnight that whatever doesn’t evaporate is going to freeze back up and create additional road conditions overnight that’ll be dangerous.”

The storm caused local schools to close for Thursday. Nearly 2,000 Hillsborough residents were without power on Wednesday night, but Duke Energy is not reporting any outages in Orange County as of Thursday morning.

Photo via Town of Chapel Hill

Related Stories
‹
Schools Preparing for Possibility of Inclement Weather
Orange County Schools and Chapel Hill – Carrboro City Schools have canceled all after-school activities after 5 p.m. on Wednesday ahead of the possibility of inclement weather. Chatham County Schools have joined CHCCS and OCS in canceling all after-school activities for Wednesday. Durham Public Schools are closing one hour early on Wednesday and canceling after-school […]
Rain Washing Away Winter Storm Preparations in Chapel Hill
Crews in Chapel Hill have been working since Monday to prepare for the incoming winter storm, but that is now being washed away by rain ahead of the inclement weather. “Unfortunately, a lot of the preparations that we made are being washed off the roads right now,” Chapel Hill Emergency Management Coordinator Barry McLamb told […]
Celebration of Independence Day to Alter Local Government Services in Orange County
The celebration of Independence Day on Friday, July 3 and Saturday, July 4 will affect several local government services in and around Orange County. Here’s a look at what typical services will and won’t be happening during the weekend: Town of Chapel Hill All Chapel Hill administrative offices will be closed Friday, July 3, as […]
Drone Shows and Parades: Here's What to Know Before Orange County's July 4 Celebrations
A variety of July 4 festivities are set to take place across Orange County. Here's how local governments are celebrating.
Juneteenth Holiday to Affect Local Government Services Around Orange County
Across the country on Friday, Black Americans and communities will celebrate Juneteenth — the national recognition of when the final slaves were freed in the 19th century and of African-American culture. As a holiday, government services around the Orange County community will be affected on June 19 and the surrounding days. Here’s what residents can […]
Local Government Meetings: June 15-19, 2026
This week in local government: a proposed AI moratorium in Durham and a board appointment (maybe) in Chatham County.
Garbage Collection, Local Transit and More: How Memorial Day Will Impact Local Services
The observation of Memorial Day Monday, May 25 will affect local government services around the Orange County community. Here’s what residents can expect: Town of Chapel Hill Memorial Day is an official town holiday. Most town and other administrative offices will be closed. Residential trash will not be collected on Monday, with the make-up day […]
Chapel Hill And Carrboro Hold Third No Kings Day, Joining Communities Nationwide
Chapel Hill and Carrboro residents participated in the third No Kings Day on Saturday, Mar. 28, protesting President Donald Trump.
Local Government Meetings: February 9-13, 2025
This week in local government: residents in Chatham County push back against Flock license-plate cameras and AI data centers.
Orange County Communities to Observe Martin Luther King Day Jan. 19. Here's How it Affects Services.
The observation of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 19 will affect local government services around the Orange County community. Here’s what residents can expect this year: Town of Chapel Hill Most town offices will be closed Monday. Residential trash normally collected Monday will be collected Wednesday, Jan. 21. Curbside recycling collection will […]
›