Is it time to stock up on bread and milk?
Anson County is under a winter storm watch from midnight Thursday through 6 p.m. Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. The NWS issued the storm watch at 5:23 p.m. Wednesday and followed it with a hazardous weather outlook at 5:34 p.m., saying “confidence is growing” that the storm will affect the central part of the state.
The county may see some rain or freezing rain on Thursday through that evening, but the forecast changes to freezing rain or sleet after 10 p.m. with temperatures expected to dip to 31 degrees. Although the chance of precipitation will be 80 percent, the National Weather Service noted that “little or no sleet accumulation (is) expected.”
The forecast is similar during the day on Friday, with freezing rain and sleet expected before 1 p.m. and rain or freezing rain from then until 3 p.m. After that, it is expected to rain, but with an anticipated low of 33 degrees, the weather service predicted there will not be any sleet accumulating on the roads.
Anson residents may finally see some snow on Friday night. The weather service predicts rain before 10 p.m., with snow and rain following that. Temperatures are expected to hover between a high of 37 degrees and a low of 33 degrees. Residents may see a whopping half an inch of snow that night.
More snow is possible on Saturday, which is expected to be cloudy with a high of 37 degrees and a low of a brisk 28 degrees.
Temperatures should warm up on Sunday, when a high of 47 degrees is expected, but will likely drop to about 27 degrees that night.
The hazardous weather outlook issued by the National Weather Service is in effect from Thursday night through Saturday afternoon, and includes nearby counties Richmond, Stanly and several others across the central part of the state.
“Residents of central North Carolina are urged to pay close attention to the forecast as the week progresses… and prepare now for winter storm conditions,” the National Weather Service advised on its website.
Reach reporter Imari Scarbrough at 704-994-5471 and follow her on Twitter @ImariScarbrough.
Motorists braved winter weather on U.S. Highway 74 during a snow storm in 2011.