Sleet Overnight in Western Triad Leaves Alamance County Roads Risky, NCDOT Says

Mostly sleet moved through the western Triad overnight from Saturday into Sunday, leaving roads in Alamance County slick and creating hazardous travel conditions, the NCDOT western Triad division said. The mix of sleet and brief snow accumulations made for icy surfaces even where interstates appeared to be moving early Sunday, officials warned.

NCDOT officials noted the sleet was "better news for tree and power line issues" than an all-ice event would have been, but cautioned that falling temperatures into the teens limit the effectiveness of salt treatments. Authorities stressed that while traffic cameras showed interstates moving well on Sunday morning, side streets, overpasses and untreated surfaces remained a danger and travel should be avoided until conditions improve.

Local response included a staged road-clearing posture for the eastern stretches of the region. In Guilford and Alamance counties there were "over 300 contract trucks on standby, primed to begin road-clearing operations later Sunday," ready to treat and plow where needed once conditions allowed safe deployment. U.S. 421 was among the roadways shown in morning images and captions as crews and commuters assessed conditions.

Meteorological guidance underscored the persistence of cold. WXII meteorologist Dylan Hudler described how low temperatures played a defining role: “WERE HOVERING IN THE TEENS, MOSTLY MID TEENS. ... NOW WE STILL HAVE SOME WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES AND A WINTER STORM WARNING IN PLACE FOR THE TRIAD UNTIL 1:00 THIS AFTERNOON. THIS IS FOR POOR TRAVEL CONDITIONS. ... OUR WARNINGS END AT ABOUT 1 P.M., BUT ANOTHER ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE AREA. THIS DEALS WITH THE COLD CONDITIONS THAT WE HAVE OVER THE AREA, AND IT’S NOT JUST HERE, IT’S FOR A LARGE PART OF THE COUNTRY. ... DYLAN YEAH, BRIAN, IT’S ALL ABOUT THE COLD NOW AND HOW THAT’S GOING TO IMPACT US THE NEXT FEW DAYS. ... SLEET IS A LITTLE BIT HARDER AND MORE STUBBORN TO MELT THAN SNOW, JUST BECAUSE IT’S DENSER AND THICKER ICE BALLS, SO IT WILL TAKE A LITTLE LONGER TO KIND OF [...]”

Measured accumulations varied across the region. WXII reported about 1.0 inch in Alamance County, nearly 3.0 inches of mainly sleet in neighborhoods around Greensboro and Guilford County by Sunday evening, and more than 3.0 inches in parts of Patrick and Henry counties in Virginia. Pockets of heavier freezing rain were noted from areas like Troy toward Asheboro, increasing the risk on secondary roads.

Local law enforcement joined the advisory effort. The Greensboro Police Department urged residents to avoid travel as sleet persisted longer than expected, and broadcasters reminded viewers that, despite fewer downed lines than a heavy ice storm would have produced, roadways remained treacherous. As one report summarized, "Although the prolonged sleet has helped mitigate power issues, it remains a significant hazard for road travel."

What this means for Alamance County drivers is straightforward: surfaces that were wet or slushy during daylight hours can freeze quickly as temperatures fall into the teens, and salt will be less effective. Expect continued limited road treatments, staged deployments of clearing trucks, and intermittent travel advisories until roads have been treated and temperatures moderate. Officials urge residents to delay nonessential travel and monitor local updates as crews work to make roads safe.