Schools are closed and the county is gearing up for the first snow event of the winter.

 

Beaufort County was included under a winter storm warming issued early Thursday afternoon by the National Weather Service. According to the notice, eastern North Carolina could experience an accumulation of 1 to 4 inches of snow from early morning Friday into Friday night.

 

By Thursday at 4 p.m., the NWS updated that forecast, saying that Beaufort County is right on the border between those areas receiving 1 to 2 inches of snow to the south versus 2 to 4 inches to the north.

 

Beaufort County schools are closed to students Friday and all school-sponsored activities on Friday night are canceled, according to Sarah Stalls, Beaufort County Schools public information officer.

 

“We’re going on the side of caution,” Stalls said.

 

Friday is now an optional work day for teachers, but schools’ staff should report at the regular time, as long as they can do it safely, she said. Monday was already scheduled to be a teacher work day, and it will remain a teacher work day, she added.

 

Along with the snow and a chance of sleet, the temperatures will hover at or below freezing throughout the weekend, according to Lisa Williams, Beaufort County Emergency Management technician, who spoke with NWS representatives Thursday afternoon.

 

“The temperatures are going to be extremely low, but it’s going to warm up during the day on Saturday,” Williams said. “The biggest concern is that anything that has any potential to melt during the day is going to freeze right back when the sun goes down.”

 

Williams said unlike most winter weather events, the low temperatures mean the precipitation will stick around and likely end up in a cycle of freezing, thawing and refreezing until Sunday night. She said drivers need to be especially focused on the road, particularly on secondary roads, and the possibility of black ice.

 

“People just need to slow down and pay attention,” Williams said. “They need to be fully aware and alert and slow down.”

 

Since the forecasts are calling for a low of 15 degrees on Saturday night and 20 on Sunday night, residents should go ahead and prepare today by checking heat sources and supplies, checking in with elderly neighbors and making sure pets have adequate shelter.

 

“Check all those things because it’s going to be very cold. It’s been so warm that I’m afraid that people are going to caught by surprise,” Williams said.