Northern Hatteras sees snow, but south gets mostly rain

Snow fell on Hatteras and Ocracoke islands today, but unless you were on northern Hatteras, you got only an hour or so to enjoy it.

Big, fat flakes began slowly drifting down from the clouds in a very light wind around 11 a.m. in southern areas, such as Buxton, Frisco, and Hatteras village. The flakes were so big and fat for a short while, that one Hatteras villager said they looking like “snowballs falling from the sky.”

However, by noon, the snow was grainy and then it turned to sleet and rain.  At Brigand’s Bay in Frisco, about 1/3 inch of rain had fallen and the precipitation was winding down by dark.

On northern Hatteras Island, the story was different in the villages of Rodanthe, Waves, and Salvo.  One Rodanthe resident measured the snowfall at between 2 and 2.5 inches.

The snow was also heavier on the northern beaches and the Dare mainland.  The National Weather Service in Newport/Morehead City reported 2 inches at Wanchese and 1 inch in Duck, Nags Head, and Kitty Hawk.

Dare County Schools were dismissed at 11 a. m., and Dare County offices and the National Park Service visitor areas closed at 2 p.m.

The temperature today has hovered right above freezing in many areas, but is forecast to fall below freezing tonight.

The National Weather Service warns of treacherous travel because of snow and ice on roadways and bridges and says “black ice” is possible on wet roadways in southern areas as the temperatures fall after dark.

Temperatures on Saturday are forecast to be in the mid-30s, falling to about 20 along the Outer Banks on Saturday night.  Sunday’s high is expected to be about 30, with temps in the upper 20s on Sunday night.

Winds will pick up behind the Arctic front tonight and are forecast to be northwest 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 40.

We can look forward to temperatures around 50 on Monday and then warmer and wet weather into the first of the week.  This time, however, the precipitation is expected to be all rain.

For updated forecasts and more information, go to the NWS website at www.weather.gov/mhx or the Newport/Morehead City Facebook Page.