Black ice possible Monday; some schools delay

Precipitation began moving north and east Sunday evening, but left behind about a half inch of sleet in some areas. Rain continued along the North Carolina coast Sunday night, and those areas that saw a lot of precipitation could see some black ice Monday morning.

“If we have any lingering moisture, we could have some black ice,” said WRAL meteorologist Aimee Wilmoth.

Troopers in Johnston County said weather was to blame for multiple crashes throughout the early part of the day Sunday.

With temperatures expected to remain above freezing for most of the overnight hours, the biggest chance for patchy black ice will come during the early morning hours Monday, when temperatures hover just above the freezing mark. Wilmoth said wind gusts over 20 mph that accompanied the system will help dry the area quickly.

WRAL Chief Meteorologist Greg Fishel said Monday morning will start off with plentiful sunshine, but there is a chance for more precipitation to move into the region during the evening commute. With temperatures in the 50s, the wet weather will be in the form of rain.

"A couple of those showers could be briefly heavy," warned Fishel.

A cold front that moves in Monday will bring cold weather that will keep temperatures in the 30s Wednesday and Thursday, despite abundant sunshine. A second cold front that will enter the area ahead of the weekend could bring even colder air, with low temperatures dipping into the teens.

"There's still some debate as to how strong that push is going to be, but it has the potential to be even colder than what we're going to see Wednesday and Thursday," Fishel said.