A second straight weekend of significant wintry weather is becoming more likely for northeastern North Carolina and the northern Outer Banks, while even Hatteras and Ocracoke islands may get some snowflakes on Saturday from a powerful nor’easter that will form just offshore.
The National Weather Service says significant disruptions to travel are possible for areas north of the Albemarle Sound into eastern Virginia with as much as 6-to-12 inches of snow accumulation possible on the Eastern Shore of Virginia and Maryland.
After receiving 6 to 8 inches last Saturday morning that has just about all melted by today, Corolla, the Currituck mainland, and over to Elizabeth City and Edenton, are expected to get another 2 and 4 inches of snow.
Lower amounts are expected for the rest of eastern North Carolina, but it now looks like the beaches south of Oregon Inlet may even get at least a trace.
“We could see anything from a light coating to 3” of snow that will bring challenging travel conditions after 10 PM Friday into Saturday as temperatures fall and rain transitions to snow,” said Dare County Emergency Management director Drew Pearson. “While the confidence is currently low that can easily change to high over the next 18-24 hours.”
The latest forecasts call for rain to overspread the area Friday night, and then begin transitioning to snow early Saturday morning as colder air moves in on strong northwest winds as the center of the storm passes well offshore.
Winds will be out of the northwest, which likely cause just some minor flooding along the soundside of Buxton, Frisco, Hatteras village and Ocracoke.
Since the winds will be blowing in an offshore direction on the Outer Banks, there should be no overwash issues along the beaches. Blowing sand will likely be a hazard along N.C. 12 between Oregon Inlet and Rodanthe.
Stay with the OBX Today Weather Center, Beach 104, Big 94.5 WCMS, 99.1 The Sound and Z 92.3 for all the latest info.
National Weather Service forecast, as of Wednesday evening: