Crews from the N.C. Department of Transportation’s (NCDOT) Division 3 continued road-clearing operations on Thursday across the Cape Fear region.

NCDOT Communications Officer Lauren Haviland noted that Thursday’s slightly warmer temperatures and sunlight would be “of great help” as crews cleared snow and ice from area roadways.

But the hazards remained, according to the National Weather Service's Wilmington office. "Given the persistent arctic air-mass that is in place, the snow/ice will be slow to clear from our roads and walkways," meteorologist Steven Pfaff wrote in an email Thursday morning. "Thus we are concerned with the hazardous travel conditions observed across the area we serve, the potential for slips/falls with the icing on walkways and the high risk posed to people and pets exposed to the cold."
 
NCDOT maintains about 5,700 miles or 12,200 lane miles of roadway across Division 3, an area encompassing New Hanover, Brunswick, Pender, Onslow, Duplin and Sampson counties.
 
When clearing ice and snow, the department follows a procedure that prioritizes essential travel routes with crews clearing interstates and highways first, then primary routes, followed by secondary routes, according to Haviland.
 
NCDOT’s online road conditions map notes that, as of Thursday morning, interstates and primary routes in New Hanover County remained “partially covered with ice/snow” while secondary routes were “covered with ice/snow.”
 
Division 3 has 45 plows and spreaders and seven motor graders, Haviland said. As of Thursday, the division had received 24 additional plows and crews from other NCDOT divisions to help with road-clearing efforts.
 
Haviland noted that below-freezing temperatures and a layer of ice on roadways can make the department’s brining materials and plows less effective. Ahead of the winter storm’s arrival on Tuesday, NCDOT and its contractors spread 2.8 million gallons of brine on roads statewide, according to a news release from the department. The saltwater solution is used to help prevent snow and ice from bonding with the road surface.
 
According to its website, NCDOT has budgeted $60 million for storm preparation and snow and ice removal.
 
Crews from the city of Wilmington also worked to de-ice city-owned bridges and streets on Thursday by spreading salt and a sand mix and using all available resources, including the city’s three plows, according to city communications manager Lauren Edwards.
 
The city maintains 400 miles of roadway. Crews prepared ahead of the storm by applying brine to the major collector roads, according to Edwards. She encouraged residents to “exercise caution when driving and only drive if necessary today.”

In Brunswick County, officials "have been working with our area partners to help address community needs and take protective actions. Our public safety vehicles and ambulances are equipped to handle heightened conditions and our public safety staff are taking precautions as we navigate and respond to emergency situations and driving on roads," said communications director Meagan Kascsak in an email. "Our ambulances have had no issues during the event, and we are not aware of any issues in accessing patients. During the snow, we had additional SUV and pick-up type vehicles on the road to access those who were off the main roads."  

In Pender County, Emergency Management Director Tommy Batson encouraged residents to prioritize safety and advised them to remain at home and avoid travel “unless absolutely necessary for emergencies or extreme situations.”
 
The county is experiencing “hazardous road conditions due to ice, resulting in several accidents,” according to county communications manager Brandi Cobb. While all of the roads in Pender County are maintained by NCDOT or privately owned, the county’s emergency management team coordinates closely with the department and other responders across the county.
 
“During severe weather events, our Emergency Management team maintains a constant state of readiness and communication to ensure the safety of our residents,” Cobb wrote in an email to the Business Journal on Thursday. “Our emergency management director meets daily with NCDOT, and we activate our Emergency Operations Center to coordinate response efforts.”
 
“While we collaborate closely with emergency staff working throughout the county, these personnel operate under the authority of their respective municipalities. This collaborative network allows Director Batson to gather real-time information about road and bridge conditions from emergency officials across the region,” Cobb added.

The weather service expects Friday to be better.

According to Thursday's NWS forecast for the Wilmington area, "Low temperatures tonight (Thursday) in the upper teens and lower 20s will allow any melted snow and ice to quickly refreeze this evening. Sunshine and temperatures in the 40s on Friday should greatly improve road conditions."

Winter weather is in many of the emergency action plans for counties and towns in the area based on the region's history and small risk every winter, Pfaff said. 

"While it is not known if we will see an uptick in winter weather events in our area over the next couple decades, and even though we get winter weather events infrequently, we can't ignore our history of significant snow and freezing rain events," he said. "Some of the icing/freezing rain events (2014, 2004) were very impactful, especially for inland areas."