Mebane, North Carolina

... Winter Storm Watch remains in effect from Friday afternoon
through Saturday evening...

The watch area includes both The Triad and the Triangle areas...
and the cities and towns of Roxboro... Henderson... Sanford...
Carthage... Troy... and Albemarle.

Wintry precipitation is expected to develop over western and
central North Carolina during the day Friday... as a low pressure
approaches from the southwest. The precipitation is expected to
continue Friday night into Saturday.

Over the northwest Piedmont including the Piedmont triad region...
Albemarle and Troy... the precipitation is expected to fall
mainly in the form of snow. The snow may be mixed with sleet
Friday night into early Saturday. Significant accumulations of
snow and sleet are possible. Over the rest of the Piedmont... snow
is expected Friday afternoon... with a changeover to sleet and
freezing rain Friday evening. The precipitation may change to
rain late Friday night into early Saturday. Significant
accumulations of snow and sleet are possible... but may be more
limited than areas to the northwest... especially if the
changeover occurs earlier than expected.

As the storm system is still in the initial stages of
developing... its track remains uncertain. If the low moves
farther to the west... the winter storm impacts would be confined
to the northwest Piedmont. If the storm tracks farther to the
east... the impacts would be felt farther east than currently
indicated.

A Winter Storm Watch means there is a potential for significant
snow... sleet... or ice accumulations that may impact travel.
Continue to monitor the latest forecasts.

... Christmas snowfall climatology...

Below are several tables which show snowfall amounts and snow depth
on Christmas day at the Raleigh Durham international Airport (rdu)
and Piedmont international Airport (gso).

Records at rdu date back to may 17 1944 and records at gso date back
to November 1 1928.

Christmas snowfall at rdu:

Snowfall/sleet amount (inches) year
       0.4 1947
        T 1999
        T 1998
        T 1993
        T 1981
        T 1975
        T 1970
        T 1962
        T 1953
        T 1948

Snow depth reported on Christmas morning at rdu:

    snow depth (inches) year
        1 1966
        T 1998
        T 1975
        T 1967
        T 1962
        T 1947


Christmas snowfall at gso:

Snowfall/sleet amount (inches) year
       2.8 1947
       1.1 1969
       0.8 1962
        T 1998
        T 1993
        T 1981
        T 1975
        T 1970
        T 1948

Snow depth reported on Christmas morning at gso:

    snow depth (inches) year
        4 1930
        3 1947
        2 1966
        1 1963
        1 1962
        1 1935
        1 1929
        T 1998
        T 1975
        T 1945
        T 1943