Flurries fly across the Triangle

Flurries or light snow was reported in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Creedmoor, Greensboro, Morrisville, Apex, Roanoke Rapids and other areas.

The flakes aren't part of the coming storm but simply a product of moisture meeting with cooler air, said WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner. 

"This is a fairly small band of snow," she said. "This is just the precursor."

Residents will likely see more snow starting Tuesday, when a larger band of cold air from the north mixes with moisture rising up from the coastal south. The pattern will be similar to a winter storm two weeks ago that brought several inches to the Triangle and beyond, prompting up to four days of school closings.

The difference between then and now, Gardner said, is a wintry mix of sleet, snow and ice that could make roads a mess and cause power outages Wednesday.

The weather timeline is as follows:

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for areas south of Raleigh, including Cumberland, Johnston and Harnett counties, from noon Tuesday through noon Thursday. However, the advisory is expected to extend north into Raleigh, Gardner said.

She said forecasters will have a better sense of how much snow and where it fall as computer models come in closer to the storm.

"The big system comes in late Tuesday into Wednesday, and we're still watching that," she said. "It's all over by the time we get to Thursday afternoon. The weekend looks fine."

The North Carolina Department of Transportation began treating roadways in Charlotte on Sunday in preparation for the storm. A department spokesman said crews will begin brining roads in the Triangle region Monday morning, concentrating on interstate bridges, ramps and primary roads. About 50 trucks were working in Wake County on Monday afternoon.

The agency budgeted $30 million for winter weather response; this week's storm is expected to deplete that budget.