TRIAD – High Point area residents should know sometime today if they skated away from the worst consequences of the latest winter storm to sock the region.

The second winter storm in a week was supposed to move into the Triad Thursday night and linger through Saturday. Forecasters said Thursday afternoon that the storm could bring a mix of snow, sleet, freezing rain and rain.

“This event is a lot more problematic than the last one. Last week, there was no question to the amount of cold air we were going to have in place. This time there’s a high uncertainty. We could be 31 degrees, or we could be 34,” said Brandon Locklear, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Raleigh.

Officials announced Thursday night that Guilford County Schools will be closed today.

If temperatures dip enough below freezing, the latest storm could produce snow. But if temperatures rise enough above freezing, the storm might result in a cold rain. In between is the chance for freezing rain.

The storm could have begun as snow and sleet Thursday night and early today before changing by daybreak to sleet and freezing rain, said Brian Slocum, WXII-TV 12 Weather Plus meteorologist.

By this afternoon in the High Point area, the precipitation should turn to a cold rain.

“We are very hopeful that this doesn’t become an ice storm (in the High Point area),” Slocum said Thursday afternoon.

The storm should start to wind down this evening, possibly ending as snow showers Saturday morning or early Saturday afternoon if temperatures drop, Slocum said.

“To sum up, we could see a couple of inches of snow Thursday night, followed by some glazing on elevated surfaces. Then rain Friday late, finishing up as flurries Saturday,” Slocum said.

The chance for the heaviest totals of frozen precipitation is greater in parts of the state north and northwest of the High Point area, Locklear said.

Any frozen precipitation with this winter storm would come on top of the 5 to 8 inches of snow dumped on the greater High Point area from a system a week ago.

The Triad will have endured three major winter storms in the past six weeks.

pjohnson@hpe.com | 888-3528