Beaufort County Schools Superintendent Don Phipps announced school would be closed Thursday for students and staff in advance of an incoming winter storm.

Beaufort County Emergency Management is expecting 4 to 6 inches of snow overnight into Thursday, early afternoon. Pockets of greater accumulation, up to 10 inches, are possible, especially along the county’s northern borders, according to Chris Newkirk, operations officer of fire and emergency management. The forecast calls for potential blizzard conditions in the early hours of the morning, with 1 to 2 inches of snow falling per hour, and sustained winds of 10 to 15 mph in the western part of the county; 20 to 25 mph in the eastern portion, with gusts of greater speed.

Newkirk said the county is prepared to open shelters should extended power outages occur. The county is warning people to stay off the roads, as whatever precipitation that falls will likely stay around until the weekend. Temperatures are not expected to rise above freezing in Beaufort County until Sunday.

Local utilities companies are requesting residents turn down thermostats to 68 degrees and unplug appliances not in use to prevent overburdening utilities infrastructure.

County offices are on a two-hour delay Thursday morning, and officials will make an announcement regarding closures by 8 a.m. Thursday morning.