ASHEBORO, N.C. — Winter weather swept through Randolph County on Monday, bringing heavy rain, strong winds and snow that downed trees, knocked out power and forced school closings.
A Wind Advisory in effect through 4 p.m. warned of northerly winds of 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 45 mph. Combined with heavy rain overnight, the winds uprooted trees across the county and created hazardous driving conditions.
The National Weather Service expected snow to taper off across the Triad between noon and 2 p.m.
Forecasters warned of rain mixing with snow or wet snow late morning and afternoon, with light accumulation possible on elevated and grassy surfaces. Warm conditions over recent days limited accumulation on pavement, but officials cautioned that residual moisture on roadways could freeze overnight, creating icy patches and black ice.
Randolph County Schools announced it would close all schools Monday due to strong winds, power outages and downed trees. Asheboro City Schools said schools would operate on a regular schedule. StarMed announced delays in opening its COVID-19 testing sites.
Power outages
Duke Energy reported average restoration times of about three hours. The county experienced 8,942 outages by 11:30 a.m., declining to 5,502 by 5 p.m.
To report outages: Duke Energy, 800-769-3766; Randolph EMC, 877-736-2633.
Road conditions
Emergency dispatch continued to receive calls about downed trees and blocked roads throughout the day. Officials urged residents to stay home when possible and drivers to use caution due to debris across county roads.
The National Weather Service allowed all advisories to expire by 4 p.m.
Photos
###
