SOUTHEASTERN N.C. — As a cold system approaches the state Wednesday, area schools made schedule adjustments to ensure students and staff are safe.
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The National Weather Service Wilmington issued winter weather advisories for the tri-county region, with the current advisory lasting from 1 p.m. Wednesday to 10 p.m. Thursday.
Since NWS’ Tuesday weather briefing on Tuesday, the total advisory area has expanded further south in South Carolina, while in the northern parts of the advisory area, freezing rain accumulations have increased and could now appear as early as mid-day Wednesday.
The NWS is predicting freezing rain to hit the tri-county late Wednesday evening and overnight. Any lingering mix of wintry precipitation should come to an end Thursday morning. The tri-county is expected to get 0.02 inches of ice accumulation; areas around Lumberton and White Lake are expected to get the most ice with 1.2 inches predicted.
The coldest temperatures are forecasted for Thursday and Friday evenings.
Thursday night into Friday morning, inland areas, including Wilmington, are showing lows of 19 degrees and 21 degrees, while the beach towns are showing temperatures between 23 and 25 degrees.
Friday night into Saturday morning, Burgaw will see the lowest temperatures at 20 degrees, Hampstead and inland Brunswick County is showing 23 degrees, and Wilmington is at 24 degrees. Surf City temperatures should get up to 27 degrees, Carolina Beach to 28 degrees, and the Southport/Bald Head Island area 31 degrees.
Roadways, particularly bridges, may be hazardous for travel conditions, due to ice, especially with black ice threats increasing at night. NWS noted downed trees and power lines being impacted by accumulation are unlikely.
In other parts of the state, officials are preparing for upward of 1 to 9 inches of snow and mixed precipitation, including western, central and eastern North Carolina. As such Gov. Josh Stein has declared a state of emergency to assist with road-clearing and to activate the Emergency Response Team.
The National Guard, Duke Energy and the North Carolina Department of Transportation are on call as well to respond as needed. By Tuesday, NCDOT had pretreated roads in the state with 1.8 million gallons of brine. The state agency announced it would work around the clock and has 600 trucks with plows and spreaders and 240 motor graders to help remove precipitation. Over 130,000 tons of salt The National Guard, Duke Energy and the North Carolina Department of Transportation are on call as well to respond as needed.
By Tuesday, NCDOT had pretreated roads in the state with 1.8 million gallons of brine. The state agency announced it would work around the clock and has 600 trucks with plows and spreaders and 240 motor graders to help remove precipitation. Over 130,000 tons is ready to go and treat the roads after the storm.
Below are announcements from area schools:
Pender County Schools
All afterschool activities, including 21st Century, PACES, and athletics, have been canceled for Wednesday, Feb. 19. The district will operate on a remote learning schedule on Thursday, Feb. 20. Students will return to a regular in-person schedule on Friday, Feb. 21.
However, Penderlea School and Pender Early College will utilize snow days and will be closed Thursday.
“We understand the inconvenience this may cause and appreciate the flexibility and understanding of our families,” Superintendent Brad Breedlove said in a release. “The safety of our students is our top priority, and we are taking these measures out of an abundance of caution.”
New Hanover County Schools
New Hanover County Schools announced they will operate normally on Wednesday, Feb. 19; this includes extracurricular activities.
On Thursday, Feb. 20, there will be a two-hour delay as of now, though it may update students and families Thursday morning if necessary.
Brunswick County Schools
Brunswick County’s district announced it will operate on regular schedule on Wednesday, Feb. 19, with afterschool activities also on schedule.
However, on Thursday, Feb. 20, there will be a two-hour delay. Afterschool activities will operate on a regular schedule on Thursday as well.
Cape Fear Academy
The private Wilmington school will operate on a two-hour delay on Thursday, Feb. 20, and classes will begin at 10 a.m. Administrators will monitor weather conditions to figure out if full closure is necessary and will update families by 8 a.m. Thursday as necessary.
UNCW
Due to the potential for inclement weather, UNCW will delay classes and events and reduce operations on Thursday, Feb. 20.
- All classes before 12:30 p.m. are canceled. Classes scheduled at 12:30 p.m. and later will proceed as planned, unless individual course instructors communicate alternative arrangements to their students.
- Normal campus operations for offices and events will resume at 12 p.m. (noon) but some campus facilities may open earlier.
If additional campus updates are needed, they will be shared by 10 a.m. on Thursday unless conditions warrant earlier notification.
CFCC
Cape Fear Community College will operate on a two-hour delay on Thursday, February 20, 2025, for all employees and students due to forecasted inclement weather. Remote instruction will occur from 8 to 10 a.m., with in-person classes resuming at 10 a.m. at all CFCC campus locations.
The Bonnie Sanders Child Development Center will also operate on a two-hour delay and open at 10 a.m.
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