ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Snow started falling in Western North Carolina early Wednesday morning and is likely to continue through Thursday morning.
The snow is expected to spread across the foothills and Piedmont before becoming more widespread through the morning.
Accumulations in the Asheville area are expected to be light, according to the National Weather Service.
A Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect until noon Thursday for Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Haywood, Henderson, Graham, Jackson, Macon, Madison, Mitchell, McDowell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania and Yancey counties.
On Tuesday morning, Gov. Josh Stein declared a state of emergency as emergency officials prepared for winter weather to impact the majority of the state.
The forecast for the rest of the week, according to the National Weather Service:
- Today: Rain and snow, becoming all rain after 1 p.m. Patchy fog between 9am and noon. High near 40. North northeast wind around 6 mph becoming southeast in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
- Tonight: A slight chance of rain and snow showers before midnight, then a slight chance of snow showers after 3 a.m. Patchy fog before 1 a.m., then patchy fog after 2 a.m. Otherwise, cloudy, with a low around 18. North northwest wind 3 to 7 mph. Winds could gust as high as 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.
- Thursday: Partly sunny, with a high near 26. Blustery, with a northwest wind 14 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 39 mph.
- Thursday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 12. Wind chill values as low as -1. Northwest wind 13 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 36 mph.
- Friday: Sunny, with a high near 42. North northwest wind 7 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph.
DMV office closures
Some North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicle offices may experience delayed openings or temporary closures over the next couple days because of inclement weather. Click here to check the status of the office near you. If an office closure or delay occurs, customers with appointments will be notified and contacted for rescheduling.