Much of central North Carolina endured a winter storm warning on Friday and Saturday, as a mix of ice and snow fell on the region and created slick conditions. As a result, the Orange County community — including its school districts — took precautions on Friday and closed facilities for parts of Saturday.
Here are the details on the school and local government changes, as well as safety tips for the winter storm:
Local Schools and UNC
UNC shared on Friday it will move to Condition 1 at 12 p.m. on Saturday, transitioning back to partial operations after moving to Condition 2 on Friday afternoon. Condition 2 — which is one of three responses to inclement weather that changes campus operations — means all non-mandatory operations are suspended and the only employees meant to be on campus are those absolutely essential to running the school’s core operations. Condition 1 means reduced operations, which gives staff the flexibility to either leave early or take precautions based on the adverse weather. Classes and scheduled activities, however, can proceed as normal.
!AlertCarolina! Adverse Conditions: Critical – University moving to Condition 1 at noon today, Jan. 11. More Info: https://t.co/6mTpT0XFxd
— Alert Carolina (@AlertCarolina) January 11, 2025
UNC said it plans to remain in Condition 1 until 11:59 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 12.
Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools announced Thursday afternoon it will release students and staff ahead of schedule on Friday, with dismissal two hours early to try and avoid having people leaving school campuses are any accumulation of wintery mix begins. The district’s elementary schools will dismiss at 12:35 p.m., middle schools will dismiss at 1:20 p.m., and high schools will dismiss at 2 p.m. — while pre-K and community schools after-school care will not be offered. School buses will adjust their run times to account for the early release, and all afterschool activities, events and athletics scheduled for Friday through Sunday are either cancelled or postponed.
❄️ Due to the forecast of snow, sleet & freezing rain, CHCCS schools will dismiss 2 hours early on Friday, Jan. 10.
Complete details: https://t.co/MRJ7PKaTiC pic.twitter.com/u51mk3Watc
— Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools (@chccs) January 9, 2025
Similarly, Orange County Schools will be releasing students three hours early on Friday with all afterschool and extracurricular programming canceled for the weekend. Chatham County Schools announced Friday morning that it too would dismiss all students at 11:30 a.m.
EARLY DISMISSAL FRIDAY | Due to impending winter weather, Orange County Schools will dismiss THREE HOURS EARLY on Friday, January 10.
Athletic and extracurricular activities Friday + Saturday CANCELED. Afterschool Programs canceled.
📲 https://t.co/fHqMsZIo6u pic.twitter.com/5Wermo00aD
— OrangeCountySchools (@OrangeCoSchools) January 9, 2025
Local Government Changes
Chapel Hill Transit suspended operations at 8 p.m. on Friday, but said it will return to normal Saturday service at 12 p.m. — albeit with the potential for route detours and delays based on road conditions. The town’s Parks and Recreations department closed its facilities early on Friday as a result of the forecasted weather, but are slated to reopen at 12 p.m. on Saturday.
Chapel Hill also shared its Emergency Updates page to the community, saying any road closures and key alerts would be added to the website as they arise.
🌨️ Winter weather update! 🚨Due to a wintery mix forecast for tomorrow afternoon, we’re closing early on Friday, January 10 at 4pm and opening late on Saturday, January 11 at 12pm. Please plan ahead and stay safe. ❄️ pic.twitter.com/ouBLB8UdUn
— Chapel Hill Parks and Recreation 😄 #RECREATE (@CHParksRec) January 10, 2025
The Orange County government also announced a variety of closures and service changes for Friday and Saturday. Several facilities, including its senior centers and library, are set to be closed all of Saturday. A full list of what is affected can be found on the county’s website.
The Town of Hillsborough announced its town offices, parks and trails would be closed to the public starting at 3 p.m. on Friday as a result of the weather forecast — citing concerns for slick conditions caused by the storm. An update from the town on Saturday morning said parks and trails would remain closed for the day.
Weather Forecast and Safety Tips
The National Weather Service issued the winter storm warning nearly 24 hours in advance of the weather system’s arrival to central North Carolina. Orange and Chatham counties, which had been under a winter storm watch, are forecasted to receive roughly an inch of snow and potentially less than a tenth of inch of ice. With temperatures expected to drop Friday night into the upper 20 degrees and Saturday morning’s temperatures to be around freezing, the winter storm warning is slated to last until 10 a.m. on Saturday — as of Thursday night. The forecast is severe enough, especially for the western part of the state, that North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein declared a state of emergency on Thursday to help best address any problems on the roads and aid communities hardest hit by the storm.
Most areas of the previous Winter Storm Watch have been upgraded to a Winter Storm Warning, with the rest of the counties upgraded to a Winter Weather Advisory. Snow and ice accumulations are expected to result in hazardous travel conditions Friday night into Saturday. #NCwx pic.twitter.com/LCSZQ6IcDO
— NWS Raleigh (@NWSRaleigh) January 9, 2025
During winter weather storms where precipitation freezes and creates ice, which could lead to power outages as it accumulates and causes objects to fall onto utility lines. The National Weather Service and Ready NC recommend taking several steps to stay safe during power outages — including keeping doors closed to preserve heat, checking safe practices for operating a generator, preparing an emergency kit and keeping devices charged.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation is urging people to avoid traveling during the storm unless “absolutely necessary.” For those who do venture onto the roads, the state department 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. If you become stranded while driving, safely pull off the road, remain in your vehicle and call for help.
This could be a notable ice event! Here's some tips for staying warm and safe when the power is out. #ncwx pic.twitter.com/rYObDadbDT
— NWS Raleigh (@NWSRaleigh) January 9, 2025
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