Snow and freezing temperatures shut down parts of the Wilmington area Wednesday, with the local National Weather Service (NWS) office recording between 2 and 5 inches of snow on the ground in New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender counties.
An NWS Wilmington forecast for the area early Wednesday stated, "A Cold Weather Advisory is expected Wednesday night into Thursday morning for wind chills in the 5-15 degree range. Hazardous driving conditions will continue through at least Thursday morning as limited melting occurs Wednesday, and any melting refreezing Wednesday night."
The N.C. Department of Transportation posted a video of crews plowing the slushy stuff on Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway in Wilmington on social media but cautioned drivers, "Please stay home if you can!"
Local governments repeated the plea.
"New Hanover County encourages everyone to avoid travel unless it is essential and to prioritize safety as road conditions may remain hazardous in some areas," a news release stated.
Businesses also responded to the unusual winter storm with caution.
The Veggie Wagon owners Max and April Sussman closed their stores – one at Carolina Beach and the other on Masonboro Loop Road in Wilmington – on Tuesday afternoon and will keep them closed through Thursday.
"We’re more interested in our employees being safe and customers being safe," Max Sussman said Wednesday afternoon.
Because of the unexpected flooding that took place in Carolina Beach during a storm in September, "We’re hypersensitive to making the right call" about weather events, Max Sussman said.
A Wednesday email from Wilmington-based coffee shop chain Port City Java stated, "Due to continued adverse weather conditions, we have made the decision to close all cafés for the remainder of the day. The safety of our staff and guests is our top priority, and we appreciate your understanding as we respond to the situation."
North Carolina Ports "continues to monitor winter weather conditions," officials said in an email. "Due to conditions (Wednesday) morning, the gates at both the Port of Wilmington and Port of Morehead City will remain closed today, January 22. We plan to open for normal operations in Wilmington and Morehead City at 1 p.m. on Thursday, January 23."
The University of North Carolina Wilmington, Cape Fear Community College and Brunswick Community College closed Wednesday and Thursday.
New Hanover County Schools moved to remote learning Wednesday but proclaimed Thursday "officially a SNOW DAY!" in an email to students and families from Interim Superintendent Christopher Barnes.
Barnes wrote, "Take this opportunity to sip some hot cocoa, build the coolest snowman on the block and maybe even make a few snow angels. Most importantly, stay safe and warm while enjoying this unexpected winter wonderland!"
Not everything ground to a halt. The Wilmington International Airport showed only a couple of cancellations on its arrivals and departures schedule as of Wednesday afternoon.
The NWS shared the uniqueness of such a snowfall in the region on X on Tuesday: "Climate facts: If Wilmington, NC measures 4+ inches of snow, it'll be the most snow since 1/25/2000. If ILM measures over 5" of snow through tomorrow morning, it'll be the most since the 1989 snowstorm."
Max Sussman said he and his wife, April, didn't mind having some family time.
"The universe kind of makes you slow down for some events, and this is one of them," he said. "Hopefully it gets above freezing."
