ABC11 Eyewitness News - Eyewitness News at 5am - February 2, 2026

Episode Date: February 2, 2026

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Right now, live coverage from your local newsleader, breaking stories from overnight and this morning, and your first alert forecast. Here's what's happening where you live. This is ABC 11 eyewitness news. Dark early and icy on a Monday morning. Good morning, Carolina. Welcome to this Monday. It's February the 2nd. I'm Joel Brown. And I'm Anna Rivera. Thanks so much for joining us today. It is the first alert day for a winter weather advisory meteorologist Quaylon Murphy this morning with the forecast just ahead. Plus, an all hands on deck for NCDOT crews working around the clock to clear roads. This morning, the biggest threat is black ice as slush refreezes on untreated roads. Also, Duke Energy asking customers to cut back this morning as extreme cold, put serious strain on the power grid, why they're worried. And the simple steps you can take to avoid outages.

And Wake, Durham, Johnston, Chapel Hill, Carborough, and Orange County schools are among dozens of districts closed today. Cumberland County Schools will be asynchronous, Harnett, Moore, and Wilson County Schools will all operate on a remote learning schedule. Full list on ABC11.com. Largest school district in the state, Wade County. Close today. My daycare, close today. Close. Look at you. Happy families? Who needs the day care? Just more time. I think the kids are missing their friends at school, right? 100%. I'm missing them. You think they want to give back the day off? Maybe. I don't know. I did see kids getting off the school bus last week and you could see them like sliding on the ice for fun. Yeah. You know, so I know there are concerns for sure.

So school districts are definitely doing what is necessary to keep our kiddos safe. Winter weather advisory, this is to keep you safe this morning, first alert day until 10 a.m. Because we still have concerns for sleek roads and icy conditions out there early on. Also a cold morning too. It feels like temperatures back into the single digits. Here's your view right now from not Surf City, but downtown Raleigh. We have temperatures in the teens, in the single digits. 3 in Siler City. That's definitely our coldest spot. Sanford, 8 degrees, 17, Oxford, 15, Durham, 18 degrees in Clinton, 20 in Fayetteville, but it feels like 11 in Fayetteville, single digits in Southern Pines, close to 0.4 in Siler City. It feels like 8 in Oxford. So another heavy coat day or a layer day for you too. This morning, a little breezy. We'll see winds relaxing for a short time early afternoon. They do pick up again later tonight. But from the south, it's going to help drive those temperatures a little higher for tomorrow. Today we're still looking at high temperature.

right around upper 30s close to 40 degrees. But it takes us some time to get to freezing at noon today. We'll be right at 32 with sun, sun at 3 o'clock, upper 30s, and then back to below freezing by nine tonight. More 20s late tonight, early tomorrow morning. We're seeing clear skies statewide right now. There are some clouds back to the west. Those are the clouds that will pivot into Tuesday in the region.

It's going to keep us dry Tuesday, but rain chances do go up. So black ice returns tonight with those wet spots refreezing. Whatever does not evaporate, some slow, snow melting will continue with highs above freezing through the weeks. I think we'll notice some patches of snow, especially on elevated surfaces and grassy areas too. We do have a midweek system on the way. It's going to bring us mainly light rain showers, but at the end of the event as it's wrapping up maybe a few snow flurries, light snow showers. No accumulation concerns right now.

We'll have more on this and your full seven day coming up right now. Weather and traffic together, Anna, back to you. Well, Quaylan, right now the roads do look good as far as crashes go. I think us not having school is definitely going to help. a lot of areas, so we're not seeing any slowdowns either other than if you come across those icy patches. Let's take a live look outside at 40 and Aviation Parkway. And I have to say this looks so much better than it did this time yesterday morning. They have done such a great job getting these major roads cleared. It's those neighborhoods and side streets that you may have some issues with. And our Tamara Scott checking out conditions in Raleigh. Good morning, Tamara. And how are the roads this morning where you are?

Hey, good morning. Anna, listen, it dawned on me that a lot of folks who may be out are thinking, well, I know the short, cut to get to some other place. And a lot of times those shortcuts are through neighborhood roads. And that's where you're going to find most of the issues. And I'm talking from experience. I was one of those people yesterday out about trying to go get some last minute things. And I came across this intersection here. This is Anderson Drive here coming from Sixthorffords all the way to Glenwood Avenue. And I got stuck to this light coming up here. There's a line of cars. And while we were there at the light, I got stuck right there on the hill. And when I was stopped trying to go again, my tires started spinning.

And I was not getting any traction. And so that's the issue that you would run into. If you are in one of these neighborhoods streets, you see all this is still really icy. Now the truck that we're in is pretty good to have great tires, so we're not going to get stuff the same way. But if you're stuck right here waiting for a light and then trying to go again, we're going to spin out. It's very icy here. And this is the situation that's in a lot of these neighborhood areas that's in a lot of these neighborhood areas that are still just not clear.

There's a lot of that snow that we know still existed and didn't melt yesterday. That is still there. So make sure that if you're going to be out and about, stay on the main roads that are clear. But again, if you don't have to be out, stay at home, schools are closed, stay home with your family.

Don't come out here in this mess. Back to you. Yeah. Yesterday's shortcut may not be as short as it used to be. Tamara, thank you. Good tips. If you are a Duke Energy customer, you may have gotten a text message last night,

asking you to reduce your power, consumption this morning. Duke says the below normal temperatures are putting a real strain on the power grid. Bianca Holman Live in Durham with what Duke Energy customers can do to help prevent rolling blackouts. Bianca, good morning. Hey, good morning, Joel. So yeah, Duke Energy sending out that email and text message to customers yesterday. And they want customers to conserve energy between the hours of 4 a.m. to 10 a.m. today. This is to help prevent any kind of really intense push on the power grid. They want people to be conscious of what they are using in their home. So, of course, when you're home, go ahead and turn that thermostat as low as possible.

Go ahead and put on some extra layers of clothes if you can. No need to run the dishwasher this morning or, you know, maybe put on the stove, maybe wait until a little bit later to cook if you can. But those are all tips that the company is using and sending out to customers this morning. Every little thing can help. And really what we're trying to do is just make sure that we can keep the grid reliable. and avoid any other steps we may have to take by using these conservation measures. So the worst case scenario should the demand get really high, resources are strained.

If that happens, Jeff Brooks with Duke Energy, says that rolling temporary outages could take place to protect the grid. The first and last time that they did this was back in 2022. And again, they hope not to do that. They hope everybody can do their part and be sure to conserve some energy this morning. Back to you. Okay, Bianca, thank you. An emergency rescue in Kerry. Two people pulled from an icy pond yesterday.

Yeah, it happened on Caniff Lane in a neighborhood near Highway 55 and High House Road in West Kerry. Investigators say a 59-year-old man jumped into the pond after he saw a 10-year-old boy fall through the ice. The man and the young boy both had to be rescued. They were taken to the hospital and expected to recover. When we arrived, we found both the boy and the adult in about chest deep water up to the adult's chest. Our crew was ready to go and then they were able to pull both the child and the victim to safety on the bank. This was the second incident over the weekend where a boy had to be rescued from an icy pond in Wake County. An 11-year-old boy fell through the eyes at Womble Park and Holly Springs on Saturday.

Officials say the child was checked out and reunited with his parents. First responders are reminding everyone not to venture out on frozen ponds or lakes. It is 507. Two separate shootings overnight. One dead in Lumberton, another person hurt in Fayetteville. Plus, the images that sparked protests and judges sharp rebuke, the latest in the case of a detained five-year-old. And travel troubles at RDU easing this morning after a weekend of snow impacts. So far, there's so far only one cancellation reported.

Eight delays. Quaylan. We'll take that. Yeah. Unless you're the one who's experiencing it, huh? Temperatures today will be near 40 degrees. Lots of sun were melting. today we're gearing up for some rain showers middle of the week but maybe ending as a few snow showers late wednesday night we'll talk about that coming up back 511 the time if you're headed to r d u this morning take it easy watch out for slick spots main road's looking pretty good but you can see where the water was still left around jet bridges late last night refreezing in those spots and so that's what we're looking out for today in general teens and twenties on out the door temperatures across the region from south carolina across our state into virginia but clear skies too so lots more sun

On the way today, still well below average on those high temperatures. Our normal high 53 will be in the upper 30s in the sandhills and the triangle today, mid to upper 30s for our northern counties this afternoon. Again with full sunshine. Clouds increased tomorrow, but it's going to be warmer. 46 degrees tomorrow afternoon. We'll have some cold light rain showers on Wednesday, 44 degrees with the front coming through and that moisture lingering could end as a few light snow showers, snow flakes late Wednesday night. We're not concerned about accumulation, but it's going to be colder Thursday with clearing sky. later in the morning and afternoon, high temperatures Thursday, upper 30s. Across the country, still cold all the way to the northeast and down to Florida.

They're experiencing the cold air. Some snow showers with that clipper system around the Great Lakes too, but all those advisory stretching south towards a Florida panhandle. 54 in Orlando for the high today, 50 in Atlanta, 77 degrees in Los Angeles. No 70s coming our way, but we'll get closer to average in the next 10 days. I'll have more than that coming up. Okay, Kleeland, thank you. A 24-year-old man is dead after he was shot in Lumberton last night.

Yeah, the Robinson County Sheriff's Office telling us the shooting happened during a domestic dispute at the Morgan Britt Park Apartments on Oxendine Circle. Jacari Clark was brought to the UNC Southeastern Medical Center by family members. He died from his gunshot injuries. Robinson County homicide detectives now investigating. A man sent to the hospital after a shooting in Fayetteville. The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office tells us it happened just before 8.30 last night on Summer Wind Drive. The victim was taken to the hospital in stable condition. detectives are now investigating.

A five-year-old at the center of a national outcry is now home, why a judge ordered his release from ICE custody. And a rare sight on the outer banks, snow plows, and road closures along NC12 today. With Amex Platinum, you have access to over 1,400 airport lounges worldwide. So your experience before takeoff is a taste of what's to come. That's the powerful backing of Amex. Conditions apply. 515 and this morning five-year-old Liam is back home. Our camera's right there as the boy detained by immigration agents in Minnesota last month flew home from a detention facility in Texas yesterday.

His case is igniting questions and controversy and now new concerns as we learn about a potential measles outbreak at that facility. Here's ABC's line of Louise. This morning Liam Ramos and his father are back home in Minneapolis. Liam, how's das? The five-year-old who ignited a national outcry after he was. was pictured last month in his bunny hat and Spider-Man backpack while being detained by ICE along with his father. A federal judge ordered their release Saturday after more than a week in a Texas detention center. The judge accusing the Trump administration of pursuing daily deportation quotas, apparently even if it requires traumatizing children. Liam was pictured after his release, the preschooler back in that blue bunny hat. ABC's John Cignonis exclusively joining Liam and his father as they're in.

made their journey home. Liam saying he's looking forward to reuniting with his mom and brother. Their detention sparked protests outside the ice facility in Texas where they were held as opposing narratives about their detention played out. The Trump administration saying Liam's father is an illegal alien from Ecuador who tried to flee and abandon his son. Officials say they tried to hand Liam over to other family members but they refused. Are they supposed to let a five-year-old child freeze to death. But advocates for the family say they've followed the legal steps to seek asylum, and Liam's father says he would never abandon his son and only moved a few feet away from him to try to get help.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche says the administration will now appeal their release. Should that appeal be successful, Liam and his father could end up back at the same detention facility they just left. A court hearing is expected this month. Lionel Moyes, ABC News, New York. Along the Outer Banks, NC12 is closed and remains closed between Oregon Inlet and Rodanthe and on the north end of Ocracoke. NCDOT sharing these photos of the overwash that led to the closure. The DOT also sharing video with us of crews clearing snow in northeastern North Carolina. This shot is of the plow going over the Mark Baznite Bridge on NC12 in Dare County, not a site that you see.

very often that's for sure. That's crazy. Yeah, you got waves and snow and ice. It's crazy. 518 now. We asked you to send us your picks and your videos and eyewitness news viewers are sharing fun moments from this weekend snow. All right. So let's take a look. Christy Dakin out in McLean'sville sending in these photos. She had two guests visiting from Florida. So they got to get out and enjoy the snow. Very nice. Don't see that in the sunshine state that often. And check this out. This is from Laura Thompson from Wendell sending us these adorable photos of her great grandchild getting to experience their first snow in Richland this weekend. Cute bows. Cute little hat.

Many of you also sharing photos of your pets playing in the snow. Crystal Davis from Raleigh taking these photos of their dogs, Malone and Milan. Oh, nice. Out of the dog park. Yes. And of course we do want to see your pictures and videos for submissions. Just click on the share your photos and videos link on the ABC11.com homepage and scan the QR code on your screen. I love our viewers always come through.

You see, Anna had a couple of cute pictures of August out in the snow yesterday. He built a snowman. It was like a snow mound. He did. He loved the snow. Buddy, he went outside, ran back to the back door. Crying at the back door. Me too, buddy.

Me too, me too. Just like his mother. Just like his teeth. 519 is a time this morning. First Alert Day until 10 a.m. Once 10 a.m. arrives, we expire the first alert day. but we still want you to be on a lookout for slick spots, icy roads out there possible through the day today. For spots certainly that haven't seen a lot of sun and still definitely colder conditions.

We have a cold weather advisory until 9 too because this morning some of those feels like temperatures dropping into the single digits. This is Fayetteville, a live look downtown. You see those snow covered roads still and sidewalks too. So some areas still could be problematic throughout the day today and through tonight. I think we'll see a slow snow melting process through the middle of the weekend. but big improvements I think through today and tomorrow as temperatures slowly climb. Temperatures right now, though, teens and single digits, and we're seeing the same on wind chill values too. Light winds overall from the north, but that will shift later today.

Temperatures in the 20s at 10, 32 degrees by noon. This afternoon, temperatures climbing into the upper 30s with lots of sun. Six o'clock, we're near freezing, and then we'll drop, of course, through the overnight hours. Wet roads refreeze tonight where water does not evaporate, most common in those neighborhoods and also around those shaded roads. be careful, especially on sidewalks and steps too. We're tracking conditions across the country. We're waiting for this next round of clouds to move our way with the frontal boundary on the way,

but also keep an eyes on the clouds with the clipper system, which will approach PA. Pennsylvania, Pungsa Tani Phil, we need those clouds to move in because we do not want any shadows to be seen. High pressure building over Florida today. It's going to lead to sixies in Jacksonville tomorrow afternoon. Forties for us tomorrow with clouds increasing. That moisture starts to move in.

We're talking rainfall though. So late Tuesday night, we could see a few light rain showers and some of those in the early Wednesday morning, I think better coverage late day, Wednesday afternoon and Wednesday evening. By Wednesday night with the front moving in, there could be a few snow showers to end this, but accumulation concerns not a thing for us at this point. Potential rainfall totals mainly under a quarter of an inch. So after Wednesday, we're done with that rainfall. And we get back to dry weather for your weekend. It's going to be nice. High temperatures today, upper 30s, low 40s. Tonight we're in the teens and 20s again with more refreezing concerns. Temperatures do dip Thursday behind that. front upper 30s. Then we get back to the mid 40s Friday, right around 40s, Saturday with some cold mornings ahead still in the 20s into early next week. Here's our first alert 7 day forecast, powered by ACU weather. The best news I think is that we have a nice quiet weekend with dry conditions, 40 degrees Saturday, 20 Saturday night, 42 on Sunday. But this is the best news I think I have for you. In the next 10 days, Tuesday and Wednesday of next week, temperatures don't just meet the average mark. They climb above average. 57. Bring it on.

to you. Oh, I love those 50s. Those look good. Okay, so right now the road's looking good, too. We're not really seeing any crashes. I think it's really going to help that a lot of the schools have decided to close for the day. We aren't seeing any congestion either. Traffic is still really light. Let's take a live look at the DOT cameras. This is 40 and US 1. You can see these major roads definitely looking a lot better than they were yesterday. So we're happy about that. Stormchaser also out and about right now. This is near Hillendale Road. And and I think the Durham Freeway. You can see this is what the issue is going to be,

these slick spots that you randomly come across when you're driving. So if you are going to be out and about today, it's still really cold. So these areas are going to be frozen. We'll be right back after the break. 525, Jeff Bezos, his space company says it's making a major change to its business model. Here's ABC Sophie Flea with this morning's TechBites. In today's TechBites, Blue Origin changes its focus.

The company has operated tourist flights to the edge of space since 2021. But now it's going to focus on developing lunar landers for future NASA missions. While that's happening, no more tourist flights for at least two years. SpaceX has filed a request with the FCC to launch a million satellites. Elon Musk is reportedly planning to build a massive data center in space to power artificial intelligence needs here on Earth. It's expected to rely on solar power with low operating and maintenance costs. Apple hasn't announced its rumored foldable iPhone yet, company is reportedly already drawing up plans for a second version.

Bloomberg says Apple is considering a smaller square device that folds like a clamshell. The first Apple foldable would open like a book and could come out as early as this year. Those are tech bites. Filmmaker Steven Spielberg is now an EGOT winner. He won his first Grammy last night for producing the music by John Williams documentary, joining only 21 others who have earned an Emmy Grammy Oscar. Tony. Happening today, NASA is preparing to launch the Artemis 2 rocket with four astronauts on board. It's a dress rehearsal that is scheduled at Kennedy Space Center, but cold weather and strong winds could delay plans until engineers review the results.

527 now, black ice concerns mean a day off for kids in Wake and Durham public schools closed today. And Duke Energy asking customers to use less power to ease stream on the power grid. We're coming right back. Thank you.