GREENSBORO, N.C. — A winter storm continues to slam the Piedmont Triad Sunday. Snow covered the roads in the early morning. Now, the big concern is ice and gusty winds that could further cause dangerous road conditions and widespread power outages.
Gov. Roy Cooper and other state leaders gave an update on conditions at noon, with North Carolina Department of Transportation Secretary Eric Boyette urging people to stay off the roads unless travel is absolutely necessary.
"Travel is treacherous across much of our state," Boyette said. "If you do not need to be out, please stay put."
Boyette said NCDOT has more than 1,600 employees and contract resources working around the clock statewide to keep roads clear and as safe as possible. He said the state has over 1,700 trucks and graders and crews are also equipped with chainsaws to remove any downed trees that fall on highways.
State Highway Patrol said by the afternoon, troopers had responded to nearly 500 services calls and 200 crashes in areas impacted by the winter storm.
Emergency call centers across the Triad have reported multiple accidents Sunday, but none have involved serious injuries. Officials tell WFMY News 2 most calls have been about stranded cars that got stuck on icy roads.
Road crews across the Triad are working around the clock to get roads clear. It's unclear when roads could be in better shape, as this winter storm is expected to last until late Sunday evening.