CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — People across the Carolinas are bracing for possible winter weather.
Agencies are tracking the forecast and preparing for any impacts. The big concern is the potential for ice on the roads.
It’s been a few years since we’ve seen any type of significant winter weather, and crews are gearing up for it.
“We’re certainly watching what’s coming heading into the weekend,” said Doug McNeal, NCDOT division maintenance engineer.
McNeal is waiting to see what kind of response is needed if a wintry mix hits the Tar Heel State.
“We’ll see how the temperatures do and how the sky covers do, but there’s a strong chance we’ll be doing some salt brining,” he said.
Crews will likely test out their equipment ahead of time to make sure everything is working, so if and when the time comes, they can clear the roads.
“Driving on ice is not easy at all, and so it’s just understanding the road conditions and where freezing water may settle on the road,” said Allen Hook, Gaston County’s emergency management planner.
Hook said his team will be out on the roads responding to an increased number of calls.
“We do have more traffic collisions that occur,” he said. “If there’s significant ice and we have power lines that come down because of trees, we have additional calls because of that or even trees blocking the roadways.”
That’s the concern for Duke Energy, too.
“Ice is our nemesis,” said Logan Stewart, a spokesperson. “It is what makes it or breaks it for us when it comes to a storm.”
Line workers are on standby in case we see more ice than snow to get lines back up and restore power.
“You accumulate about a quarter of an inch on trees or tree branches, that’s when we start to see issues,” said Stewart.
These agencies should have a better idea of their response later this week.
