The Roanoke Valley is under a winter storm warning and on the conservative side could see more than three inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service in Raleigh.

A worst case scenario predicts up to 12 inches of snow near the Virginia border.

Governor Josh Stein this morning declared a state of emergency in the wake of the storm.

“Confidence continues to increase that a winter storm will affect central North Carolina Wednesday through early Thursday morning with lingering impacts through the remainder of the week and perhaps the weekend,” the NWS said in its 11 a.m. briefing.

The greatest risk for heavy snow of more than 3 inches will be across the areas along and north of Highway 64.

Freezing rain with accumulations of ice up to a quarter of an inch will be possible across areas mainly south and east of Raleigh.

Subsequent black ice concerns will follow for Friday morning and maybe Saturday morning. 

Where the heaviest ice accumulates, there could be substantial tree damage and power outages. 

Be prepared for numerous power outages across the eastern half of the state.

The timing of the snow is expected Wednesday morning through early Thursday morning.

A few snowflakes will be possible Wednesday morning, but the heaviest snowfall rates and quickest accumulations are expected from Wednesday afternoon through evening. Travel will become especially difficult and hazardous Wednesday afternoon.

Meanwhile, in a briefing this morning, Stein, Director of Emergency Management Will Ray, and Secretary of Transportation Secretary Joey Hopkins provided an update on the winter weather that will impact much of the state starting Wednesday and into Thursday. 

The governor advised that all North Carolinians take precautions by listening to local officials and plan accordingly for low temperatures, ice, and snow.  

“This morning, I declared a state of emergency across North Carolina, and we are activating a cross-agency storm response,” said Stein. “Most of North Carolina will be impacted by this storm, and our greatest concerns are potential power outages and road safety. We urge all travelers to stay off the road once the storm hits on Wednesday, to keep their devices charged, and to monitor local weather.”  

“The State Emergency Response Team has been activated and is working with the Department of Transportation, North Carolina National Guard, State Highway Patrol, Department of Health and Human Services, and local emergency management to provide resources quickly throughout the state,” said Ray. “We ask that all North Carolinians continue to monitor the weather tomorrow and stay off the roads when possible.”  

A winter storm will impact much of North Carolina Wednesday into Thursday. The forecast for northern central and eastern North Carolina includes snowfall accumulations of 2 to 6 inches, with localized totals reaching up to 9 inches across the far northeast. 

The North Carolina National Guard (NCNG) has activated more than 180 guardsmen to assist and support local communities across the state.  

More than 1,500 employees with NCDOT have been pre-treating roads across the state. 

As of  this morning, the agency had spread 1.8 million gallons of brine to pretreat hundreds of miles of interstates, highways, and secondary roads statewide. 

Nearly 600 trucks with plows and spreaders and 240 motor graders are ready to remove snow and ice, and more than 130,000 tons of salt are ready to treat roads after the storm hits. 

Once the storm hits, NCDOT crews are prepared to work around-the-clock in shifts to plow and treat snow and ice until all state-maintained roads are cleared. The agency will prioritize clearing interstates first, followed by U.S. and N.C. routes and then secondary roads.