Our office is currently monitoring this week’s temperatures and potential for winter precipitation for the coming weekend. Details for Beaufort County include:

Cold Temperatures

We are forecasted to experience highs in the low 40s and lows in the low 20s for the next 7+ days. These temperatures, combined with elevated NW winds will result in windchills that feel like the upper 30s during the day and upper teens at night.

Our coldest day is current forecasted for Thursday, with a low of 23 (windchill of 15) just before sunrise and a high of 35 (windchill of 26) around 2pm.

We encourage everyone to take the necessary precautions to safely protect you family, homes, and pets from these freezing temperature over the coming days. Recommended precautions include:

• Practicing safe heating practices in your home. (Only use UL approved space heaters. Ensure heaters are at least 3 feet away from furniture and other combustible items. Make sure that you have working smoke alarms. Homes that utilize gas appliances should also have working carbon monoxide alarms as well.)
• Ensure exposed plumbing fixtures are wrapped to prevent freezing and familiarize yourselves with the location of your water shutoffs and / or water meter so that any leaks can quickly be shut off.
• Ensure that outside pets and livestock have adequate shelter to protect them from wind, rain, or frozen precipitation. Also ensure that they continue to have access to water that is not frozen.

Potential for Rain / Ice / Snow:  Friday – Sunday

Precipitation is currently forecasted to move through Eastern NC Friday night and Saturday. Whether this precipitation falls as rain, ice or snow will depend on timing and temperature. The current forecast suggest that this will begin as snow around 4am Saturday morning, transitioning to ice / freezing rain after sunrise, and rain by mid-morning. Any moisture that remains after sunset Saturday will freeze again through mid-morning Sunday, making roadways, especially bridges and overpasses treacherous.

Our heaviest precipitation is currently forecasted to occur between 7am and noon Saturday.

What to watch for in the coming days.

If you like snow, then you’ll have your fingers crossed in hopes that the approaching moisture will speed up and arrive during the overnight hours Friday night/Saturday morning.

If you don’t like snow, then your fingers are crossed for a slightly later arrival, with the bulk of the moisture passing during the day Saturday.

Regardless of whether you like snow or not, we should have our fingers crossed in hopes that we avoid freezing rain / ice. Ice accumulation remains a possibility as our temperatures are currently forecasted to remain between 35 and 40 during the day Saturday, with frozen precipitation likely for areas west of Wilson and along the NC / VA boarder.

We encourage everyone to monitor this developing forecast and plan accordingly. We will continue to pass along information as we receive it.

As always, thank you all for what you do to keep Beaufort County informed, prepared and safe.