The National Weather Service in Wilmington has issued a hazardous weather outlook for Bladen County.
Late Friday afternoon or evening, rain is expected to move into the area. It will transition into a wintry mix early Saturday morning, causing travel hazards throughout the day. The highest probabilities for freezing rain accumulations have shifted slightly farther north and east compared to yesterday. Bladen County now lies in the area with the highest probability of freezing rain accumulation, with 80 percent probably of accumulation.
Probabilities for greater than 1 inch of snow accumulation remain highest from near Greenville, S.C. to Fayetteville, Raleigh, and Rocky Mount. The National Weather Service says some scenarios still bring accumulation to the coast, however, and they are predicting a 60 percent chance of accumulation between 1 and 2 inches for Bladen County. Relatively warm ground temperatures and sleet will limit the amount of accumulation.
Single digit wind chill values are expected Sunday morning and especially Monday morning with a strong arctic air mass moving into the Carolinas. Temperature lows from the system are expected to reach 11 degrees in Bladen County with wind chill factors less than 5 degrees.
Potential impacts include hazardous driving conditions, especially bridges, overpasses, and elevated road surfaces Saturday morning through Saturday afternoon, black ice Saturday and into Sunday, isolated power outages Saturday, and dangerously cold weather Sunday and Monday.