spots on area roads. we always take caution when that is happening. many of us right now are close to freezing. that's important because we have had several days of cold weather and that's getting our ground nice and cold. so it's gonna be accepting any winter weather that falls over the next couple of days. so tonight another few hours of light snow as we fall into the 20s. you're dry by tomorrow morning. 26 will feel like 20. yet another cold start. but we now have a winter weather watch for friday and saturday for most of the area as freezing rain, sleet, and snow could all fall. it's an all day friday and a good portion of saturday event. up to .5-inch of ice with some light snow saturday morning. travel will be dangerous at times and there could be changes for school schedules friday because of what's coming. i will break down hour by hour what we expect both days coming up in a few minutes. here is a live look at i-40

is moving just fine at this hour. we are keeping a close eye on tonight. >> wcnc be mobile news tracker right now. update. steve. >> reporter: we are on 40 east right now, sean, near the exit that would take you to the fairgrounds. and what we're seeing right now on the highway is nothing at all. earlier, as we finished up the 6:00 live report, we actually ran through a snow shower. we were able to show you. take a look at the highway right now. the road has brine on it and a moderate amount of traffic. for those who have to be out in it, driving in these conditions with be a little bit nerve wracking at times. >> slow down and take your time. and know that you can easily slide on snow. >> reporter: the nc d.o.t. is prepping roads for this storm

full force. >> the brine helps minimize what sticks to the roads. it makes the jobs a little bit easier when they clear it later. >> reporter: when roads are like this, conditions are the last thing on drivers' minds. when the weather gets dicey, some folks change their driving habits. >> take it slow. don't try to be aggressive. that's basically what we try to do. take your time and get there. >> reporter: meanwhile, at rdu some folks are worried that the upcoming bad weather might make travel more difficult. >> i was a little concerned when we saw some reports about lots the of snow and things up north this weekend because we are flying through newark before we go back to scotland. >> i had a business meeting. earlier flight out. i am a little worried about the weather. >> reporter: how come? >> like most cities in the south, they are not prepared for snow and ice. so things tend to slow down, get delayed, and i am trying to get home to the family. >> reporter: and if you are trying to get home yourself,

once again. you can see that we've got some pretty good conditions right now. with showers coming in through the evening, you could hit slick spots. this is video of snow falling earlier in boone. that area remains under a winter weather advisory through night. >> and here is a live look at rdu international airport. crews are de-icing planes as we speak. several airlines are also getting ahead of the storm. jetblue, delta, and united will waive change or cancellation fees for people traveling friday and saturday. and speaking of the weekend, we're tracking a larger storm expected to impact our area. >> people are already getting ready for any winter weather we may see. for more on those preparations we continue our team coverage tonight with wcnc's david hurst who is live in downtown raleigh. david. >> reporter: yeah, sean, sharon, here at ace hardware and many of

many are stocking up on supplies such as salt to lay down on their driveways and homes, their sidewalks. they are getting some snow shovels here as well as sleds in anticipation of potential snow. it's all in an effort to get ready for this potential winter weather. for keith lassiter, they have had an increase in calls due to the freezing temperatures. >> we get real busy when the cold weather comes. >> reporter: they have already dealt with several busted pipes and expect more as temperatures dip. >> those pipes are relying on that heat to keep 'em from freezing. >> reporter: let cold water drip from a faucet, insulate your pipes, and keep the thermostat at the same temperature night and day. duke energy says downed trees and limbs are the leading couse of power outages during storms. >> winter weather can be really unpredictable. so we're having all of our crews on hand and ready to respond. >> reporter: you are asked to

power goes out. put together an emergency supply kit with flashlights, batteries, and non-perishable food. they say getting prepared now is the only way to prevent any problems. >> so that when it's zero degrees at 12:00 at night, you're not having an accident happen. >> reporter: local school districts are keeping a close eye on this weather. if they make a decision to close or delay schools, they will make it at night before the 11 p.m. news. if they make it in the morning, it will be by 4:45 a.m. winter weather carries a-team is hard at work getting the roads prepared. crews are brining the town's 739 miles of streets. they are equipped with 900 tons of salt and 53 plows should things get back. carey is operating normally with no changes to trash collection.

it's free for your apple or android device. look for latest school closings on our website wcnc.com. we are following breaking news right now at unc chapel hill. a worker was injured following an accident that prompted a power outage. wcnc's mario boone joins us from campus with the latest. >> reporter: well, here's what we know right now. this incident happened at die hall and the university is not telling us exactly what took place. but what we have learned from eyewitnesses who were here on the scene is that a worker and some type of accident was caught on fire on his body. and what we do know is parts of the campus are without power right now. you can see this building right here is one of them. those lights that you see there are emergency lights. now, a moment ago i talked with an eyewitness news. in fact, wcnc was the only news crew here to speak with that eyewitness news, and he described seeing that worker run out of the building with his body engulfed in flames. listen to this. >> it was from his legs area all

i mean, he was like most of his body seemed to be on fire. >> reporter: and back here on the ground those vehicles you see with the flashing lights, those are work crews brought in to figure out exactly what happened here. we are told the university as well as chapel hill fire department are investigating at this time. no condition has been given for the victim who was taken away by ambulance we are sold severely burned over most of his body. we will follow this and have updates on wcnc.com. reporting in chapel hill on the unc campus, mario boone, wcnc news now. and happening right now johnston county commissioners are meeting behind closed doors to discuss a csx complex. supporters say it would bring hundreds of jobs to the area and boost the state's rail system, but many locals say the project will cost them their land. wcnc's amy cutler is live in the meeting with the latest. amy. >> reporter: well, sean, that closed door meeting, as you said, continues.

protesters here waiting for them to get out. commissioners had said they would speak with them once it was over. all of this over csx's plan to build a huge new railroad in selma. 450 acres of land. to make room for that cargo hub, several people would have to use their homes. in a statement csx urged commissioners to continue this dialogue. they say this is day seven of a multi-year process and they are open to discussion. for many of these folks, that land has been in their family for generations. >> it's heritage. i have sweated on that farm. i have walked behind a mule on that farm. i am willing to fight to the end. and i told them they didn't have enough money to buy it. >> reporter: again that closed door meeting continues. we are gonna be out here until it's over and we'll let you know more what they have to say coming up at 11:00. live in smithfield, amy cutler, wcnc news now.

from a man who lost a stepson in a hit-and-run crash. it happened saturday night on highway 421 killing two teens and critically injury another. tonight the person who hit them has not been captured. wcnc's nate rogers has an update. >> i said to him, you boys please be careful and come straight home. >> reporter: families of five harnett county teens numb after a hit-and-run driver takes two lives. the accident happened saturday around 11 p.m. 16-year-old kyle straight was walking with four other friends southbound on u.s. highway 421. they just left a kangaroo gas station when highway police say three of the teens were struck by an unknown vehicle from behind. >> he was just an outgoing child and he deserves better than this. >> reporter: killed was style straight and 13-year-old jennifer shark.

suffered a broken elbow and concussion. steven's dad did not want to speak with us on camera, but says his son does not remember much. >> we don't know. we don't know where they were coming from. >> reporter: police say surveillance video of the accident from nearby businesses is a bit grainy. they are looking for a white suv or pickup truck, possibly an older model. more than likely there is visable damage on the front of the vehicle. >> it could be the bumper area. it could be the headlight right here. it could be the turn signal. >> reporter: kyle's parents say the well liked teen planned to join the army after high school. now they are pleading for the public's help in finding the drivers responsible. >> i mean, if this would be your child, what would you want done, you know? put yourself in my shoes right now. no parent should have to bury a child. >> i'm like everybody else. we just want justice. >> reporter: in harnett county, nate rogers, wcnc news now. the dow suffered through one of the worst days since 2014.

wall street plunge and what a financial planner says you need to do. plus, why a group wants to stop the connect nc proposal dead in its tracks. here is a live look at i-40 and harrison avenue. traffic's moving just fine

stay with here in the city, parking is hard to find. seems like everyone drives. and those who do should switch to geico because you could save hundreds on car insurance. ah, perfect. valet parking. hello! here's the keys. and, uh, go easy on my ride, mate. hm, wouldn't mind some of that beef wellington... to see how much you could save on car insurance, go to geico.com. ah! (car alarm sounds) it's ok! another cold day in central

not out of the 30s. tonight snow and some sleet moving through the area.

likely that ice and snow a rollercoaster day on wall street saw stocks taking a big hit of the dow plunged more than 500 points earlier today before rallying to close down 250 price. oil the lowest level since 2003. >> carly griffeth spoke with a financial planner about today's events. she joins us with more on what this means for your investments. carly. >> sean, sharon, it's difficult to say stay calm when you see numbers like we saw today. that's the piece of advice you should heed. although the markets have declined, it's the same

it's caused by china's slow growth and low oil prices. pete d'arruda says we could take a turn up, or this could be the start of another crash. the only thing you can do to protect yourself is invest wisely. >> the most important thing is to not have all your money in one place no matter where it is. not all your money in cds, the stockton, mutual funds, annuities. even gold and silver. >> d'arruda says the only people that have cause for concern are those highly invested and close to retiring. he says do not put money into the market that you can't afford to ignore for ten years or longer. sean, sharon, back to you. >> thank you. tonight there is organized opposition to the connect nc bond proposal. this was the scene two weeks ago when the bond kicked off the campaign. now there is a group called nc against the bond. the proposal calls for $2 billion in infrastructure improvements with the majority

those opposed say it's not fiscally responsible for the state to take on debt. >> it's projects are truly worthwhile, they should be brought before all representatives to appropriate during the budget process. >> the better view of that is, this is a benefit for all the citizens for our lifetime and for future generations. >> the governor says there would be no tax increase associated this bond. you will be able to vote on the proposal in march. keeping an eye on the roads. this is a like look at i-40 west in raleigh. as you can see, it doesn't look too bad out there. we are using our wcnc news tracker that has been out all night looking for trouble spots. we are seeing 2009 a lot -- seeing a lot of brine in a lot of areas. we saw snow at chapel hill, i- 40 the scary area. will we see more tonight? >> also reports of sleet in fayetteville. all along this was like a teaser, a few snow flurries, maybe a few slick spots.

turning out to be. luckily, we haven't seen the slick spots. you look at the radar and you're like, wow, it's got to be snowing heavy in fayetteville or east around rocky mount. a lot of what you are seeing on the radar way up there in the clouds is evaporating before it gets the ground. it's so dry outside, only a little bit of if is making it. unfortunately, that's not the case with the next system friday and saturday. however, there is still a winter weather advisory until 11:00 tonight, basically until this snow moves out, because it could create some slick road spots out there, and then that's why a lot of our advisories and watches and warnings are issued, to warn of dangerous travel. tonight there is just a small chance of some slick spots. but we're gonna keep the clouds and light snow in the forecast for the next few hours. then it will dry out and clear out. as you head out the door tomorrow morning, as you look hour by hour, it's gonna be another cold one. 6 a.m. on thursday morning 26 degrees and that will feel like 20 degrees.

pressure? our next winter storm arriving here friday and saturday. well, there it is in texas. there is nothing going on in texas right now. that is because the area of low pressure is still developing, pulling up moisture and strengthening, and that's the one that's gonna be on our doorstep friday and saturday. a couple of things have changed. number one, the track of this area of low pressure, we really do track this like we would a tropical system, it's shifted south a little bit, which has allowed more cold air to filter into our area. more cold air means a better chance of freezing rain and snow, and that's exactly what has happened in our forecast. what's gonna happen with this, this warm-ish rain is going to rise up over this cold air, that's gonna produce some freezing rain. we show this from time to time through the winter. this is kind of a profile of the atmosphere and how each precipitation forms, and what we're expecting is more freezing rain. in the upper atmosphere, that warm area of rain coming up from the south, most of the

until you get right at the surface. and we are gonna be below freezing. that rain hits a branch, your mailbox, your car, it's gonna hit. maybe hit some bridges. that could cause some problems. let's walk you through what we expect. tomorrow a great day relatively speaking. i am gonna stop it at midnight friday morning. here comes the rain, the freezing rain and the snow as well as clouds. it will start to probably fall around the southwest part of our viewing area in the early morning hours, and a good portion of us will see that for friday morning's commute. some light snow. some freezing rain. maybe some cold rain in the sand hills. that will continue most of the morning, most of the afternoon. again this line is gonna fluctuate a lot over the next 48 hours. nothing is set in stone, but a good portion of us will see that freezing rain and possible snow. by friday night it turns to more of a cold rain, and then on the back edge of this system we've got snow. and those totals are still very much up in the air, but that is

here are some of the totals of ice that we could see. anywhere shaded in pink, that could be up to .5-inch. that's where we start to have problems with power outages. as for the totals, very -- snowfall totals, half an inch of snow in the triangle to more than 7 inches. by the time it's said and done we could be looking at 1-3 inches averaging in north carolina. a winter storm watch will be in effect for pretty much all of us friday and saturday because travel will be so dangerous. again, that's friday and saturday. tomorrow actually a great day compared to what's coming. temperatures warm into the 40s and we will have some sunshine with no precipitation. but freezing rain and ice are likely now on friday with some snow as the system pulls out on saturday. both days temperatures not out of the 30s, and then we warm up and dry out sunday and then we've got 50s next monday, tuesday, and wednesday.

next tuesday and wednesday, that is rain. rain is so much easier to forecast than what we've got the coming friday and saturday. >> wow. 50s next week. all right. thanks, wes. the accolades keep rolling in for the carolina panthers. >> next at seven, quarterback

you can add an mvp award to the panthers' record-breaking season. >> the professional football writers of america named cam newton the nfl's most valuable player. he led the panthers to a 15-1 record while compiling 35 touchdown passes and 10 rushing tds. he becomes the league's 41st mvp and the first panovich to ever -- panthers to win the award. sunday they host the arizona cardinals at bank of america stadium. kick off 6:40. >> you can watch the game with a krispy kreme doughnut. they are rolling out a panthers

through light snow continues to try to fall across our area. a lot of it is evaporating before it hits the ground. flurries, a little bit of sleet for the next couple of hours. tomorrow thankfully kind of

44, a heat wave tomorrow, with some sunshine. then freezing rain. maybe some cold rain mixed in with snow, looking more and more likely now on friday. this will be a very big deal for our area. it wraps up with some snow on saturday before we calm down and dry out on sunday. but i think we need to start thinking about not going out of the house on friday and early saturday with what's coming our

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