With freezing temperatures continuing overnight Wednesday and keeping Tuesday’s snow around, Orange County’s local school districts are again asking students to stay home for Thursday.

The Orange County Schools district said classes for Thursday, Jan. 23 are cancelled, marking the second straight day of no school because of snowy and icy road conditions. With that, administrators declared Monday, Jan. 27 and Tuesday, Jan. 28 as makeup days for instruction instead of being teacher workdays, citing the need for high schoolers to complete exams before the start of a new semester on Wednesday, Jan. 29 and to make up time for other students. Additionally, the district’s “Ready, Set, Kindergarten!” family event for Thursday has been rescheduled to will need to Tuesday, Feb. 11 starting at 5:30 p.m.

Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools shared an alert with families Wednesday afternoon declaring Jan. 23 a remote learning day for its community. Elementary school students will get assignments emailed to their families from educators, while middle school and high schoolers will do asynchronous online instruction through Google Classroom or Canvas. The district added in its announcement that Friday, Jan. 24, will continue to be a teacher workday with no classes, as will next Wednesday, Jan. 29.

The decision to hold remote learning, according to CHCCS Chief Communications Officer Andy Jenks, stems from the district having nearly used up its “banked time” for inclement weather due to delays and closures so far in January. The move to remote learning for Thursday helps prevent the need for makeup days of in-person learning — although it may be necessary if any additional instruction is cancelled later this academic year.

Chatham County Schools is also holding a remote learning day for Thursday, with families receiving communication from schools and teachers with specific details about instructional plans. Durham Public Schools are closed altogether, with an optional remote workday for staff.

UNC, meanwhile, is maintaining Condition 1 through 9:59 a.m. on Thursday after having operated under that status all of Wednesday. Classes operated like normal, but at the discretion of faculty, and non-mandatory staff had the option of calling out based on their personal travel and work situations. If a change in campus conditions is extended beyond that time, the university said it will be communicated via Alert Carolina no later than 8 a.m. on Thursday.

Local Government Updates

After closing its offices entirely on Wednesday, the Orange County government will operate on a two-hour delay for its offices on Thursday, opening at 10 a.m. The Durham County government will do the same. The Town of Hillsborough also opened its offices, parks and greenways on a delay Thursday after being closed all of Wednesday because of the icy conditions. Similarly, because of the cold and slick surfaces, Hillsborough’s facilities will close at 4 p.m. Thursday.

In Chapel Hill, solid waste collection for Wednesday was pushed back to Thursday — with the town saying as many residents will be served as possible, despite a backlog of pickup needed since Monday’s holiday also delayed service. The Chapel Hill Town Council’s work session for Wednesday night was cancelled, with agenda items will be included in the council’s meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 29, according to the town. Chapel Hill Transit delayed the start of service on Wednesday and said route changes and delays are possible because of slick or snowy conditions, but is planning on normal run times and operations for Thursday morning. Additional updates on the transit service can be found here.

Freezing Weather

A layer of snow covered parts of Orange, Durham and Chatham counties on Tuesday night as part of a winter storm that affected much of the southeastern United States. Central North Carolina was on the fringes, but suffered from chilly temperatures much of Tuesday which created the right conditions for snow — and snow that could linger. Despite sunny weather on Wednesday, the region’s high temperatures remained around freezing, leading the National Weather Service’s Raleigh office warning residents to prepare for slick conditions to continue for Thursday and Friday until temperatures consistently reach the mid-40s.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office shared an alert through its public communications app and website of “treacherous” road conditions in some areas because of the snow. Several reports of crashes led the office to urge people to stay off the roads or take them at a slow, deliberate speed for much of Wednesday. The latest updates can be found here. While many of the local governments and North Carolina Department of Transportation worked Tuesday and Wednesday to treat and clear the roads of snow and ice, drivers are urged to avoid driving on side roads, be wary of high speeds, and stay aware of frozen patches.

Safety Tips

During winter weather, the North Carolina Department of Transportation urges 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.

During periods of freezing temperatures, there are several warming centers and overnight offered to Orange County community members to rest and stay safe. Daytime warming centers include the Orange County Public Library and Passmore Center in Hillsborough, the Efland Cheeks Community Center in Efland, the IFC Commons on West Main Street in Carrboro, and the Seymour Center and Rogers Road Community Center in Chapel Hill. Overnight shelter can also be taken at the Seymour Center in Chapel Hill from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., with cots, blankets and snacks provided.

Ready.gov, a website through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, offers several safety tips for staying warm, keeping power, and enduring inclement winter weather. More information can be found here.

Featured photo via Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools.

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