WATAUGA COUNTY, N.C. — Parents in Watauga County are concerned their kids have missed too much school because of weather this year.
This school year, the district has had 17 inclement weather days and missed 17 days during Helene.
According to the Watauga Democrat, the district has already been approved to start next school year a week early.
The board is now asking for a two-week weather waiver.
If approved, they could start as early as the second week of August.
We’re working to learn when the district expects an official decision. Check wsoctv.com for updates.
Wintry Weather Outlook
Severe Weather Center 9 is tracking the threat of wintry weather this week.
A Winter Weather Advisory is expected to take effect Wednesday morning for several North Carolina counties including: Alexander, Iredell, Catawba, Rowan, Cleveland, Lincoln, Gaston, Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Union, Greater Caldwell, Greater Burke, Eastern McDowell, Greater Rutherford, and Eastern Polk.
The advisory is scheduled to last through noon Thursday.
In the mountains, Watauga, Ashe, and Alleghany counties will be under a Winter Weather Advisory from 1 a.m. Wednesday to 1 p.m. Thursday.
This looks very similar to what we’ve seen this winter with the main snow threats farther north and a wintry mix in the Charlotte metro. The mountains could get several inches of snow.
The system will move quickly through the area and be out by Thursday morning. It will be cold for the rest of the week with highs in the 30s and 40s.
“On a tiered system”
The North Carolina Department of Transportation is preemptively applying brine to roads in Charlotte and Huntersville as a winter storm approaches, expected to bring a mix of rain, snow, and freezing rain on Wednesday.
Crews have already started treating primary roads with a brine solution, a mixture of water and 23% salt, to prevent ice formation. The preparation is part of NCDOT’s strategy to mitigate the impact of icy conditions on traffic.
“We’ve already started putting down, as you can see, the brine solution on a lot of our primary roads,” explained Jen Goodwin, a representative from NCDOT. “On a tiered system of what roads we treat based on things like traffic volume, connectivity to major areas and major work centers, and hospitals.”
Jeff Brooks from Duke Energy highlighted the risk of power outages, noting, “When we start to see that accumulation of ice, it only takes about a quarter of an inch of ice before tree limbs start coming down on the power lines, breaking poles and creating outages.”
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Once the wintry mix starts, NCDOT workers will work 12-hour shifts to respond to any issues. Officials are also advising residents to stay off the roads if possible to avoid black ice.
Duke Energy has been preparing year-round for such events by reducing vegetation-related outages and improving the grid with self-healing technology that can automatically detect power outages.
As Charlotte braces for the incoming winter storm, both NCDOT and Duke Energy are taking proactive measures to ensure safety and minimize disruptions. Residents are urged to exercise caution and follow safety guidelines during adverse weather conditions.
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