The N.C. Department of Transportation today released the following advisory about the winter weather forecast for this weekend.

Central North Carolina

The central part of the state is forecasted to see snow and ice from this storm. To prepare, crews in many counties have already started pre-treating the highways. They plan to continue spraying salt brine on these heavily traveled roads until precipitation starts falling.

Crews are also checking equipment such as plows and spreaders and preparing to work special shifts to conduct snow removal.



Eastern North Carolina

The storm is expected to generate a wintry mix in Eastern North Carolina. Crews are pre-treating the primary routes in counties forecasted to get more than just rain. 

Crews throughout the region will remain on standby until the storm is over. During their shifts, they will check equipment to ensure it is ready for use.



Snow Clearing Policy

The department prioritizes which roads are cleared first, focusing on strategic corridors such as interstates and other multi-lane primary routes that are essential to the movement of intrastate and regional traffic.

The DOT then works to clear lower-volume primary roads and secondary roads and then subdivision streets.



Driving Tips

Motorists are asked to give snow plows and other DOT equipment plenty of room and to avoid unnecessary travel, both for their safety and to give crews time to clear the affected roadways. 

If travel is absolutely necessary, motorists should use the following precautions:


• Clear windows and mirrors.

• Reduce speed and leave plenty of room between you and other vehicles.

• Bridges and overpasses accumulate ice first. Approach them with extreme caution and do not apply your brakes while on the bridge.

• If you begin to slide, take your foot off the gas and turn the steering wheel in the direction of the slide. Do not apply the brakes as that will cause further loss of control of the car.

• Come to a complete stop or yield the right-of-way when approaching an intersection where traffic lights are out. Treat this scenario as a four-way stop.

• If you have a cellular phone, take it with you; you can contact the Highway Patrol statewide by calling HP (*47) or call the county emergency center by dialing 911.

For real-time information on road conditions, visit www.ncdot.gov/traffictravel/ or call 511, the state’s free travel-information line. The DOT also provides alerts about road conditions on Twitter. To access them, go to www.ncdot.gov/travel/twitter/.

From 5 till 9 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 2, Pizza Inn in the Cleveland community will donate a portion of sales to the youth ministry at First Missionary Baptist Church in Clayton. The cost is $8.59 for adults and $3.99 for children. The restaurant is at 63 Son-Lan Parkway near N.C. 42 and Interstate 40.

Heavy rainfall caused sewage to overflow from a manhole in Selma this morning.

An estimated 3,000 gallons of raw sewage spilled into an unnamed tributary of Buffalo Creek from the overflow at 1801 Industrial Drive, according to a county news release.

The spill has been reported to the N.C. Division of Water Quality. For more information, call the Johnston County Department of Utilities at 989-5075

The Southern Ambassadors will sing at 10 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 31, at Praise Sanctuary, which meets in the Smithfield Recreation and Aquatics Center, 600 Booker Dairy Road, Smithfield.

The board of Hocutt-Ellington Memorial Library will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 28, at the library, 100 S. Church St., Clayton. The Clayton Friends of the Library will join the board in the meeting.

"Chick Night" is scheduled for 6 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 24, at Cleveland Community Church, 8246 Cleveland Road in the Cleveland community. The night out is for women and for girls in sixth grade and higher. Those attending are asked to bring toilet paper, tissues, napkins and paper towels. The items will go to local women's ministries.

The next "Breakfast before Business" is scheduled for 8 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 28, in the lobby of the Paul A. Johnston Auditorium at Johnston Community College, 245 College Road, Smithfield.  Johnston Community College will introduce its new president, Dr. David Johnson, and it will present the 2009 Business and Industry Partner Award. JCC alumnus Timothy Britt will speak. To attend, call 209-2113 or send an e-mail to ndflowers@johnstoncc.edu.

Carolina Realty is collecting food, medical supplies, blankets and the like for victims of the earthquake in Haiti. For more information, call Debbie Johnson at 919-868-2649 or Horne Memorial United Methodist Church at 553-6464.

Mt. Zion United Methodist Church in the Cleveland community is collecting donations of supplies for victims of the earthquake in Haiti. The church is accepting:

Basic Needs

• Blankets

• Sheets

• Towels

• Wash cloths

• Health kits (see description below)

• Food

• Tarps

A health kit contains specific items:

• 1 hand towel (15” x 25” up to 17” x 27”)

• 1 wash cloth

• 1 comb (large and sturdy, not pocket-sized)

• 1 nail file or fingernail clippers (no emery boards or toenail clippers)

• 1 bath-size bar of soap (3 oz. and up)

• 1 toothbrush (single brush only in original wrapper; no child-sized brushes)

• 1 large tube of toothpaste

• 6 adhesive bandages 

The church is at 15772 N.C. 50 North, about a quarter-mile south of N.C. 42.

Want to learn pediatric advanced life support? A PALS class will meet from 9 a.m. till 5 p.m. Jan. 20-21 in Room 1404B of the Johnston Medical Mall on North Bright Leaf Boulevard in Smithfield. To register for the class, call 919-938-7736. The fee is $200 and includes materials.