ABC11 Eyewitness News - Eyewitness News at 11pm - January 29, 2026

Episode Date: January 30, 2026

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Right now, live coverage from your local news leader, preparing you for tomorrow starting tonight and your first alert forecast. Here's what's happening where you live. This is ABC 11 eyewitness news. Right now at 11 getting ready for round two. Tonight, millions of people across North Carolina are gearing up and stocking up because yet another winter storm is heading our way. The snow isn't supposed to fall until sometime tomorrow night, but the system is putting the state on high alert, sparking a winter. weather watch and an extreme cold watch for our entire viewing area. The storm prompting Governor Josh Stein to issue another state of emergency. He's now urging people to stay safe, stay home, and off the roads. So if you can stay home Friday night and bundle up, we recommend you doing it.

Stein continues to say if things get bad, he may have to request additional assistance from the federal government. Thanks so much for joining us here for the news at 11. I'm Lauren Johnson. Hi, everyone. I'm Steve Daniels. Last weekend, we had to deal with ICE. and potential power outages. But this weekend, the main issue will be snow. It could fall at rates of moderate to heavy intensity depending on where the heaviest bands develop. We have team coverage tonight. Tom George is talking to people who work at local restaurants getting their take on another potentially slow weekend. James Price will have more from the newcomers to North Carolina

and how they're dealing with this blast of winter. But first, let's start with Chief Neurologist Don Schweniker Don. Don, the snow could come down pretty hard. It could. And we could see heavier bursts of snow throughout the day on Saturday. We have the winter storm watch in effect for the entire viewing area. This will change. I think tomorrow it becomes a winter storm morning as the National Weather Service gets a better idea of where that heavy snow is going to fall and when it arrives. We also have the extreme cold watch in effect from Saturday night to Sunday morning. We don't get these very often. This would be for wind chills from zero to five below could be even colder as you head out toward the triad. Let's show you the latest model run. This is our in-house model.

Actually, this is the high resolution rapid refresh model. It's a model. The National Weather Service also likes to look at. And by tomorrow night, this time, we could see a few flurries are flying across the region. But as we hit toward three, four o'clock in the morning, that's when that snow really starts to ramp up. And then throughout the day on Saturday, that snow moves in. How much snow are we talking? This has really not changed that much and six o'clock. We've brought down some of the totals up through here a little bit, but for the most part, it looks like four to seven inches possible, a very fluffy snow two to four as you get out to the west of us. We'll talk more about that and a first alert to your seven day forecast, which does include some warmer temps. That's coming up for you just a couple of minutes, guys. All right. Like Don said, we could be seeing a lot of snow in this area. That means for some of us, conditions outside could end up looking like this scene. This is video from across the triangle in 2018 when we saw seven plus inches of, over the course of several days. And that's why NCDOT crews are hard at work right now

to try to prevent problems on the road later. Chapter 11 captured video of Cruz and Raleigh putting Brian on the roads. Despite the back-to-back winter storm weekends, the NCDOT says they are ready. We plan ahead of time. We start working on having enough resources back in the fall in the late summer.

So we've already done that and we bring more in as needed. So that's our engineers are great at planning. especially our maintenance engineers that are responsible for clearing the roads. Last weekend, DOT crews spread more than 800,000 gallons of brine across North Carolina, and they are at it now once again. As we gear up for another round of winter, whether restaurants are having to make some tough decisions, stay open, feed customers, and make money or shut down to stay safe.

Tom George, live from downtown Raleigh, Tom, you spoke with two businesses, having to consider weather two weekends in a row. Yeah, that is the big question. It feels like it was just last weekend, right where we were standing here on Fayetteville Street. It was all ice. You couldn't walk anywhere. It was kind of a ghost town. A lot of our restaurants making the call to close just like Sono behind me.

And now they're facing that decision should they try and close or stay open again this time. Come ice or snow, the open sign, staying on at Vick's Pizzeria on Glenwood all last weekend. Now it's deja vu. It's crazy, man. People wanted snow and here it is. So yeah, we're excited to stay open for you guys. I know a lot of people are going to be stuck at home. A lot of businesses are going to be closed.

So I decided to stay open. Owner Michael Longo says with all the foot traffic from Glenwood weekends are always a busy time and without as many people heading out and spots closing, staying open gives them a leg up. He's even putting his workers up in a hotel. Sometimes you've got to hustle and I know I've got to take advantage of the opportunity. A lot of places are going to be closed. and I'm fortunate enough to have a good team with me here.

And, you know, we're going to get a hotel room across the street at the Casso. And we're just going to just be here for you guys. In downtown Raleigh, it was a different story at Sonosushi on Fayetteville Street. They had to close last weekend. It's really tough, especially the weekend. Even though the Saturday wasn't snow, everybody was expected that Sunday is going to be snow. So we had a no sale on Saturday as well. We ended up closing early because nobody came.

Nobody was in downtown. It was kind of ghost town. Closing not always easy, especially when ramen is perfect on a winter day. They say it's especially tough for servers who rely on that extra weekend traffic. Not only as a business, but the people who work here as well, the many days, so many days to be off, you know, hourly workers, you know, it's life depending on it. Some people are.

But for now, they're keeping an eye on the forecast before deciding whether the open sign stays on. Yeah, and that is the million dollar question right now. I know a bowl of ramen would be great when it's this cold outside, but whether they stay open or decide to close, again, as Don mentioned, that forecast can go either way. So a lot of the restaurants tell me they're going to keep people up to date on social media with what they decide to do heading into the weekend. Reporting live, Tom George, ABC 11, Haudous News.

Yeah, another weekend of tough decisions. Tom, George, thank you. All right, let's go to Durham now where the fire department is encouraging people to have a game plan if the power goes out. The deputy chief says a generator needs to be placed at least 20 feet from the home and the exhaust should face away from the structure. He also says people should only use kerosene and kerosene heaters. As for the Durham Fire Department, they are going to staff up on Saturday night. An additional firefighter will be assigned to each ladder truck to better respond to emergencies. Right now, there are more than 11 million people living in North Carolina.

And as you know, we've had a massive increase in the number of people moving here. In fact, we had the fourth largest population gain in the country in 2024. Many of those newcomers are northern transplants, and for some, they thought their snow days were over. Not so fast. Jemise Price joins us live from Raleigh, Jemise. Many people you talk to are getting shovels and ice scrapers ready for round two. Lauren, round two, here we go again. But those folks, they didn't put up those snow shovels or the ice scrapers from last week.

So snow is not something that's new, but it's certainly a sight to see back-to-back weekends. I'm originally from Maryland. I grew up in New England. I am from the Midwest. Now there are new neighbors who thought their days of snow were over. I was surprised. Surprise but not stressed, at least not this time around. Last week's storm had this Michigander shaking in her snow boots. I had people from like Germany and like California and like Ohio messaged me and asked me what I was going to do and so I was like this must be a a national story so I was a little more nervous. This second round of winter weather is bringing more snow and less ice, so she's ready. I feel like I kind of know roughly what to do. And show does

Lori Gottberg. Spent most first half of my life in in New England with a lot of snow and liked the first winter when we moved down here like this is great. You know we could wear shorts. But not this winter. She traded the shorts for scarves and a parka. I still think, everybody needs to be careful. You know, it's snow and ice and everything is still to be respectful of and, you know, take note of it. And those aren't the only notes our northern neighbors are sharing. You should be prepared, you know, spray all like salts on the sidewalks and, you know, take caution when you're driving. If you're nervous overnight about like pipes freezing, just like try to run the water a little bit, like just to keep the faucet on. And obviously, I mean, hopefully you'd have at least some food in your house, but like try to keep at least like food for the weekend.

Wise words from snowbirds who flew south, but not far enough to avoid the frigid tips. Just be mindful of it. There's still ice out there. All right, definitely be careful. We know this is going to be fluffy snow. So think of fun, but also be safe out there. We know there will be some serious impacts. Governor Josh Stein already issued that state of Emeritus. emergency, encouraging everyone to stay off the roads only getting out there if it's absolutely necessary. We're live in Raleigh. James Price, ABC 11, I would be. And hopefully because it's the weekend, people don't have to juggle work responsibilities and they can't stay home and enjoy the snow. That's true. Kids are out of school too.

That's right, yeah. James, thank you. And as we prepare for winter weather coming our way, don't forget to tap the app. ABC 11 has an app. You can find all the latest weather updates throughout the week as well as the latest watches and warnings. You can also check the first alert. Doppler net and that seven day forecast at any time. We're following some breaking news in Surrey County where the FBI is on the scene of a mass shooting. Their authorities say four people were shot across the street from Welcome Baptist Church in Mount Airy this afternoon. Sadly, two of those victims died. The church says no members of their congregation were involved in that shooting. There's no word if the shooter is in custody, but officials say there is no threat

to the public tonight. And we're also following some breaking news in Raleigh. A house was partially destroyed by fire. Our crew capturing this video on Haywood Street, it's a few blocks east of downtown. Fortunately, no one was at home and a firefighter did have to be treated. We learned for minor injuries. Next to new here at 11, the fast-moving developments in Washington to prevent a partial government shutdown. We'll tell you about the deal made just a few hours ago. Plus, the state's largest school district is at the center of a disturbing lawsuit. Find out what reportedly happened to a child at an elementary school in Raleigh. And speaking out, tonight we're hearing from the people who believe they got cancer from a building

on the NC State campus. The allegations they're now leveling against. the university. And Don, checking those chilly temperatures outside. It's a cold night tonight. It's going to be even colder this weekend as some snow moves in. We'll talk about that. Your first alert forecast next. New at 11 Senate Democrats in Washington say they've now struck a deal to prevent a partial government shutdown. Under that agreement, the bill funding the Department of Homeland Security would be separated from the rest of the spending package. DHS would be funded for an additional two weeks to give lawmakers more time to hammer out a longer term deal. Many Democrats on Capitol Hill are trying to rein in DHS after two

deadly ice shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pruddy in Minneapolis. Meanwhile, President Trump is taking action against Cuba this evening. He issued an executive order declaring a national emergency regarding that country. The president says the policies, practices, and actions of the Cuban government constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat. He noted the island nations close ties with Russia, China, and Iran. The executive order mentions placing retaliatory tariffs on countries that provide oil to Cuba. The verdict is in tonight in the trial of Isaiah Ross.

The Orange County jury found Ross guilty of second-degree murder in the death of Devin Clark, but for Lyric Woods, the jury was deadlocked, resulting in a mistrial for first-degree murder. For three weeks, witness testimony and evidence presented at trial showed the three teens made plans on social media to meet up and have sex. Ross testified there was an argument and Devin Clark shot Lyric Woods and then Clark lunged at him. Ross says after they wrestled for the gun, he shot Clark in self-defense, but today the judge sentenced Ross to at least 20 to 25 years in prison.

was a case with a lot of witnesses, a lot of evidence, a lot of technical things to introduce. I want to echo something that Ms. Orr said in her sentencing that this was a case in which, at this point we can say after the verdict from the jury, that Isaiah Ross murdered Devin Clark and then elected to blame his own murder victim for the murder that he committed. And thankfully, the jury returned a verdict that found that he did in fact commit murder. Prosecutors say because of the mistrial, they'll put Ross on trial again for the death of Lyrick Woods. New at 11, the Wake County School District is being sued for allegedly failing to protect an elementary school student from sexual assault that allegedly happened at the hands of a classmate. According to our news gathering partners at the News and Observer, the lawsuit, which was filed last week, claims a seven-year-old at Beaverdam Elementary in Raleigh was sexually assaulted several times during the spring of 2023.

The lawsuit accuses the school system of knowing about the alleged abuse, but not preventing it from happening. The lawsuit was filed by the same firm that sued the district for allegedly failing to protect another child from sexual assault at a different school. The school district says it does not comment on pending litigation. For the first time, we're hearing from the people who filed a new lawsuit against NC State University. They either worked or studied inside Po Hall and they think chemicals in the building gave them cancer. The new lawsuit claims they were exposed to PCBs and they say the university ignored the war. warning signs of the contamination. The lawsuit also claimed some of them complained for years

about dust and particles in the HVAC system. Attorneys to eyewitness news emails between faculty and the university date back to 2008 with faculty making complaints about the air quality inside Pau Hall. Attorneys also claim the university first knew about PCBs in Pohol in 1991 when a transformer tested positive for the chemical.

This group is suing the university over allegations of deliberate indifference. We reached out to NC State for comment about the lawsuit, but they haven't responded. We're following new information into a chase and crash that unfolded in Johnston County. Tonight we're learning it all started after the driver gave officers a fake name. Police say they approached a Chevy Impala in the parking lot of the Walmart and Clayton. When police tried to get 22-year-old Tyshaun Satterwhite out of the car, he took off.

Police chased Satterwhite on Clayton Boulevard before Satterwhite lost control, crashed into a tree on the westbound side of Highway 70. That crash caused a fire which was captured by Chopper 11. Satterwhite ran from the scene, leaving a female passenger behind. She was able to be rescued but was rushed to the hospital. As for Satterwhite, he was taken into custody after a foot pursuit at the Pine Hollow Golf Course. Police say he had outstanding warrants from several counties. One of them issued just yesterday.

All right, we're counting down to a snowy weekend around here in about 24 hours from now. The snow could start falling. Buckle up. That's right. We're all ready, right, Don? Absolutely. And just some flurries tomorrow night at this time or later. Really, the heavy snow won't start until we're all to sleep.

and that humidity starts to come up. We'll talk about that in just a minute. Good evening to you tomorrow. Skies will become cloudy throughout today. May see some sunshine in the morning. Those clouds thicken up in the afternoon. 38, the snow flies for the weekend Saturday and Sunday, and we'll talk more about that in a minute.

Here's where we are in the winter storm forecasting. We're down to one to two days out. That's when we start to make our accumulation forecasts and the impacts, and that's what we'll have for in just a second. We know the type and timing. It's going to be snow. It's going to be Saturday. We know the trend is more likely for the snow and the overall pattern is correct.

So what are we going to see? Well, let's show you the European model first. It does show the snow flying by 7 a.m. on Saturday morning. And it continues throughout today with some heavier bursts working through. By Sunday 7 a.m. It is exiting the region. And then we're just stuck in some very cold air. Now we look at the latest run of the American model.

This is just coming in and brand new. And it has that snow flying tomorrow morning through lunchtime on. Saturday, some heavier burst coming through. And this is as far out as this model pretty much goes. And you can see it keeps the snow on us through 11 p.m. on Saturday night before it finally exits the region on Saturday morning. And so that means extended periods of time for snow. This is actually the old snowfall forecast. I'll show you the new one in just a moment.

Here's a look at a live look at our first alert Doppler net tonight scanning the sky's not seeing any rain or snowfall out there. Let's look, Mandy O'Don Murphy tonight, 29. in Manio, 22 in Greenville, 24 in Raleigh, 23 in the triad, just 17 in boom. Overnight, those temperatures will get down into the teens for lows and 20s across the region, 23 degrees in Fayetteville when you wake up tomorrow morning. Satellite radar composite shows those clouds working through. We zoom it out. The low hasn't really informed yet.

We're going to see an upper level low come to the south, and that works its way closer to us. And that's what will bring us to the snow this weekend. And then there is that low as it tracks up the coast. And we will see that snow starting to fly Saturday into Sunday. How much snow are we talking about? Let's show you that snowfall forecast as promised. Here is the updated snowfall forecast. And you can see four to seven inches of snow right through the heart of our viewing area.

Outer banks, they'll take the heaviest amount of the snow. They could see seven to 12 inches in the outer banks of heavy snow over in that area. So we will be watching that for them. And for us throughout the weekend, your seven-day forecast continuing to show that first alert day, Saturday and Sunday, 24 on Saturday, Sunday, 30 degrees. Monday, Groundhog Day 38th, I think snared down in Garner will see a shadow. That means six more weeks of winter. And then Tuesday into Wednesday, we're into the 40s, and that should melt it off. Again, looking like a four to seven-inch snow event, but that could change as we get closer to the events start tomorrow night.

Can't you do something? Can you get some clouds over snurred so we get a so we get that early spring? Yeah. Well, you got to remember if it's six more weeks of winters in December winter, we were in the 70s. So, okay. Depends on one winter he wants to give us. That's right. I need to be specific about what we ask for. Got it, Don, thank you. Still ahead of mother's warning after her child overdoses on a popular weight loss drug. Tonight a mother in California is warning to other parents after she says her child accidentally overdosed on a GLP1 weight. drug. Seven-year-old Jessa had seen her mom inject the medicine. So when Jessa had a stomach ache, she copied mom's moves. The child reached into the refrigerator and injected herself with a powerful GLP-1 drug. Within hours, Jessa began vomiting and grew dangerously weak. Her mom reached out to poison

control and they informed her there was little doctors could do. That's because there's no way to reverse a GLP-1 overdose. Jessa vomited for days and had to be hospitalized twice. She has since recovered. California poison control says overdose calls involving that popular weight loss drug. have more than tripled since 2021. Some kids at YMCA and Iowa got the chance to do something. Not many people have done before. They used these stationary bikes to make smoothies. First, the kids added the ingredients like fruit and juice and honey and yogurt in that blender.

And then they connected the blender to the bike and they got peddling. The peddling made the blades of the blender spin to mix the ingredients. A lot of the kids ready to the activity there at the YMCA as five stars. And thank you at home for watching. That's going to do it for us here tonight. We'll see you here for storm coverage. Samar night on eyewitness news at 11. ABC 11, IWitness News is sponsored by Capitol Chevrolet.

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