ABC11 Eyewitness News - Eyewitness News at 5am - January 23, 2026

Episode Date: January 23, 2026

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Right now, live coverage from your local news leader, 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. 5 a.m. Good morning, Carolina. Welcome on this Friday. It's January 23rd. I'm Joel Brown. And I'm Anna Rivera. Thanks so much for joining us today. A winter storm watch has been issued for this weekend as North Carolina braces for the bitter cold and wintry mess. Yeah, treat this like an ice storm. No major. snow for us, but ice is the big concern. Power outages possible. I hope more on that my forecast. The NCDOT says it's brined all the major roads ahead of the winter storm. Straight ahead, the agency's two biggest concerns for drivers. And Governor Stein expected to provide another

update as North Carolina prepares for the impacts of this major weather threat. What we know about his address to the public today. Right now, tens of millions of Americans are bracing for this winter blast. We'll take a look at how far the system could stretch across the country. Yeah, this thing is huge. Time for a first check of weather in traffic together. Meteorologist, Quaylon Murphy here with us. Let me say it. As I'm arguing with my barber yesterday, but to take this storm seriously, he's like, look, come on, man. It's not even going to be that cold. He's saying because he's looking at the hines that they're above freezing. And I'm telling you, have you looked at the lows, sir? Have you looked at the lows and have you looked at the ice concerns?

And that's what I want you to understand. This is not going to be a big snow event. We wish it would be a big snow event. And it's not. It's going to be an ice concern. Let me get you through the day out the door this morning, 30s and 40s. So chilly, chilly, you need the umbrella. We'll have some spotty rain showers today. The high near 50 degrees. We have our winter storm watch, which will become a warning later today. So you'll see this shaded in pink later. But the impacts remain the same. We're talking snow and ice concerns, dangerous roads and power outages too. So what happens is we start the ice accumulation later in the day Saturday. And then this continues all the way through early Monday morning. That's going to lead to the hazardous travel and the power out of it. just through that time frame. That colder air really starts to build in this weekend, but much colder into early next week once the ice is settled on the ground. And what that means is the melting concerns will continue to increase through the start of next week because there'll be very little melting. We've bumped up our ice accumulation potential too, up to three quarters of an inch for most of the area. If you're outside of that, you still have potential for up to one half of an inch north of the triangle and also off to the south. That's the portion that I need

you to wrap your heads around so you can take this seriously. The snowfall potential will be limited generally around an inch from I-85 and south. Some spots near the state line may be one to three inches of snowfall, but this is not a big snow event. This is going to be an ice event. Now it will start off as snow as we head towards 5 p.m. 6 p.m. on Saturday, snowfall for the triangle areas north, sleet to the south. So you will see snow at the onset. But the problem is it starts to transition over to more sleet and then freezing rain late Saturday night. This is Sunday morning at 10. All this pink you see here is rain falling, hitting the ground and freezing on contact, glazing over roads, glazing over bridges, overpasses, glazing over trees. This continues through the day on Sunday, and it continues through Sunday night. So that's going to be problematic. The storm is still out to the west in terms of that low, but we're going to have other components, too, a low forming off our coastline, Arctic air in place as well. What you see right now, this is not related to the storm. This is just one week disturbance passing through, and we have light rain showers.

out there for you right now. Here's a live look into downtown Raleigh where we're still dry. The rain is south of the triangle. Temperatures in the 30s and 40s, upper 30s in Smithfield, 42 degrees right now in Irwin. We'll be in the upper 40s at noon today with clouds and then by three o'clock mainly cloudy sky, the high around 50 degrees, but still feeling chilly because we have the clouds in place today and a little bit of wind too. By late tonight, though, Arctic air rolls in and feels like temperatures tomorrow only in the 20s through the day. Full forecast coming up. Right now, weather and traffic together, Anna and Joel. back to you. Quilland right now the roads looking really good. Our crash count sitting at zero.

I do think we just have an icon pop up, so I'll check on that in just a moment. Let's take a live look outside where traffic is very light at 40 and South Saunders. And today the NCDOT is set to provide an update for the public on how it's preparing for the winter storm across central North Carolina. Cruise have been working to prepare the roads for what's expected to be a major ice event. The agency says they have two main concerns, down trees and lingering ice on the roads. A DOT spokesperson warning the ice could be on the roads for a while because it's harder to remove than snow. The DOT says it has some motor graders. That's the best tool to remove ice from roadways.

But the agency says there are not a lot of those. Low temperatures next week will not help the situation. And the owner of local car towing company is joining DOT officials urging people to stay off the roads. Dave Overman says it may be hard for those for his team to rescue people because of how slippery the roads could get. In some cases, we'll call you back and say, we just can't get to you. And the roads freeze over, we have to be extremely cautious, just getting there. The DOT says your car will be towed if you leave it on the side of the road. The agency is expected to provide an update at 10 o'clock this morning.

The state's emergency response team now fully activated to respond to this storm, and we are standing by for a morning news conference from Governor Stein with the latest on winter storm preps and guidance across the state. The governor sent to speak at 1130 over at the emergency operations center. Tamara Scott's live there now at the EOC with more on what we can expect. Tamara, good morning. Hey, good morning, Joliel. Governor Stein yesterday made it clear that his number one priority is the safety of the residents and the crews who would be out working in this snow or ice event.

So today we're expecting to get an update from him on the emergency response team that he activated ahead of the storm. Now, this team is made up of the NCDOT, public safety, state highway patrol and state utilities. Stein says the state has 2100 specifically trained employees available to respond to the storm. They also have 1100 already pre-treated roads with 300 gallons of brine and 150,000 tons of salt to treat roads and they're still obtaining more. Now he says they are also asking folks to have all of their emergency kits together by tonight and to stay home.

Ice accumulation may lead to power outages, and we recommend everyone keep their devices charged, have a flashlight and battery-operated radio on hand, and think about what you may need to stay warm and fed if you lose power. So again, make sure that those emergency kits have food, water, and blankets in them for your family. We're expected to get another update this morning at 10 o'clock. Stay with us throughout the day for the update. Back to you. Okay, Tamara, thank you.

And right now, preparations are happening across the country for this massive winter storm that could impact some 200 million Americans. Yeah, this storm's going to have everything. Ice snow, wind chills of 50 below zero in some parts of the country. Emergencies declared across the south from Texas to Maryland with snow and dangerous ice moving into the region later today. That system will then make its way east tomorrow before tracking up the coast, stretching all the way to Maine by Sunday. The storm zone stretches nearly 2,000 miles, an area from Oklahoma to Maine could see. six to 12 inches of snow. And now's a good time to download the ABC 11 app. It's a great way to stay up to date on current weather conditions.

Plus, you can always check the first alert Doppler net and seven-day forecast. It is 507, and right now, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina is taking steps ahead of the winter storm. What the insurance provider is doing to make sure people don't run out of their critical medication. And many people could experience travel disruptions with snow and ice expected over the weekend. We'll take a look at how RDU airports preparing for the winter storm that could impact flights. Good morning. Good morning. No impacts today with ice. We have rain high temperature near 50, but winter weather impacts Saturday and Sunday. Next week's feels like temperatures in the morning. There we are Tuesday down to zero. It's going to be cold. This is first alert weather from ABC 11. I witness news. 510. Good Friday morning. Welcome back some really light showers for area south of the triangle. You may want your umbrella today for that light potential through the afternoon and early evening hours to ahead of our Arctic front. Here's a live look from RDU.

No major issues out there for flights. Today we'll have some clouds around though at times. Upper 30s in Raleigh right now. 50 in Lumberton, 28 degrees in Boonechay City right at freezing. The highs today near 50 degrees from the sand hills all the way north, maybe a little cloud cover break for areas north, but overall cloudy skies today with spotty rain through the afternoon. Pretty quiet right now for the century,

United States, but evidence of that storm system from the west starting to work into areas around the southwest. This map tells a story, the extreme cold to the north and winter weather impacts with ice and snow. from the deep south all the way to the northeast, starting today and through the weekend into early next week. Four degrees in Chicago, that's the high, 10 below in Minneapolis. That's the high temperature, not the wind chill. 53 in Atlanta, New York, 38 degrees today.

Tomorrow you wake up to wind chill values in the teens, some single digits. Feels like temperatures tomorrow afternoon in the 20s ahead of our snow and ice that arrives later in the day. This is the problem in the next week. Our high temperatures will only be in the 30s. So today will mark the warmest. final day for us for the month of January. As we finish out the month, this is it. And problem is we're not going to see much melting happening next week. Very little of that. I'll have your full forecast coming up. Joel, back to you. Quaylin, thank you. In anticipation of that

major winter storm, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina now allowing customers to fill their prescriptions early. Here's what you need to know. Customers can access early prescriptions through February 20th. Refills must be made while the state of emergency declaration is in effect. The early refill policy does not apply to controlled substances. Now the winter storm hasn't even arrived, but it's already impacting weekend events. The downtown Raleigh Home Show has been canceled at the Raleigh Convention Center. Ticket holders can use their tickets for the upcoming Southern Ideal Home Show in April or September or get a refund. Astronomy days over at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences and Raleigh has been postponed. It is now planned for Saturday, January 31st and Sunday,

February 1st. The Triangle Lunar New Year Festival at the State Fairgrounds has been rescheduled to March. Cinch World's toughest rodeo scheduled this Saturday at Lenovo in Raleigh has been rescheduled to next Friday, January 30th. And comedian Seth Myers has a show on Saturday at the Deepak, and it's been rescheduled to February 27th. We'll see you next month, Seth. 512 is the time. Make sure to stay around for Good Morning America. Ahead of 7 o'clock. Michael is live in Texas for 50 states in 50 weeks, showing us what makes his home state. So special. We are local news.

ABC 11 eyewitness news continues now. It is 515 and as all of us brace for this weekend's blast of winter weather. RDU is also prepping the runways for the anticipated snow and ice. Eyewitness news at RDU on Thursday getting an up close look at the airport's four primary trucks tasked to keep the runways clear. There's a 10 ton de-icing as well as a 22-foot broom attached to a machine that can be switched out for a snowblower. There's also a 4,000 gallon liquid de-iscer with a 75-foot wingspan that can clear a runway and two passes. The director of field maintenance says RDU is following the forecast closely and working with the airlines to ensure a smooth operation. Because we pride ourselves

for always keeping at least one of the commercial runways open so planes can continually fly out of RDU. So yeah, once we would clear one, we would move to the other side and work on clearing that one. All right, so RDU says it has never had to close all of the runway. but if they did, it would only be to keep staff and passengers safe. Right now, several airlines are allowing passengers to rebook or cancel flights ahead of this weekend's winter storm. Prediction for more than half of the country. United Delta, American, and Southwest Airlines have all released travel advisories. They're offering options for customers to change plans if they were scheduled to travel over the next few days.

The carriers are also waiving rebooking fees as long as the rescheduled travel takes place within a specific amount of days. And taking a live look outside now, this is a view of downtown Raleigh. I guess we could say the cliche, the calm before the storm. I love a good cliche. We know. On this freaky Friday. Yeah, 40 degrees now. The cold air is expected to come in pretty soon at some point tonight.

Yeah, later this evening and tonight. And then that's it. So the stage will be set. It will be cold. Moistress there. The setup is all there. Everything is there. And this time it's for ice.

not so much for snow. We'll have a little snow, but this is a nice storm for us. This morning, no ice for you. We have rainfall, some light showers south of the Triangle. Cumberland County, Hoke County, Samson. You have some light showers also into Moore County too, but the accumulation is about a tenth of an inch or less. So there's not a whole lot there.

And that's generally what we'll see throughout the day today, some spotty light rainfall. This will be our final warm day of the month after this temperatures crash near 50 degrees for the high this afternoon. A lot of cloud cover around as well. You could see a few breaks with some fill sunshine, but overall lots of clouds. Front comes through this evening. That's the Arctic front. So tomorrow morning around 3 a.m. We're down the 35 degrees and temperatures early in the morning tomorrow, 20s and 30s, but it's going to feel colder when you factor in that wind, more like the teens. Winter storm watch right now. I think by 1 o'clock this afternoon changes over to a warning. So this map will look pink, but this doesn't change the impacts. It's just getting us closer to the actual timing of the event. Level 4 or 5 impact on our scale here. Freezing rain and sleep. Big concerns for us.

travel hazards and power outages will also develop. And the reason we're concerned about the power outages is simply because it's going to be so cold for a long duration of time. Spotty showers right now, not associated with the system, but clear indication of the Arctic air now pushing into the plain states. That's where that trough is setting up now. Moisture out to the west around the west coast. Also watching moisture around the Gulf, which will head our way and the low pressure, which will form off of our coast too. So here's the timing of this snowfall event. It begins around 4 or 5 o'clock tomorrow afternoon.

We'll start to see some snow showers on the radar initially for the triangle and north, sleep to the south. So we'll start with that. But then we transition to more sleep through Sunday, Saturday evening and night. By Sunday 2 a.m., we're starting to see that freezing rain developing south of the triangle. And this will continue to develop through the morning hours of Sunday. By Sunday morning 6 a.m. We're going to have freezing rain happening for the triangle area south and east. Still some sleep for areas north, but that all changes over.

And for the rest of the day, Sunday, it's all about freezing rain concerns. transition here to some light showers by Sunday night, but still I think it's going to be cold enough that this moisture hits the ground and freezes on contact Sunday night. Our ice concerns are the greatest with this event. So up to three quarters of an inch of ice for generally the triangle all the way northeast towards Roanoke Rapids back to Resiler City, around a half of an inch for areas north of I-D-5. Still around a half of an inch possible for areas in the sand hills too. And that's where the power outage concerns really start to build. So we have a high chance for that for most spots here with this next. storm system and we're talking about one half of an inch or greater so significant impacts with that including tree limbs sagging and breaking remember we've also been so dry around here lately so everything is dry and could easily be a bit more it could be a bit more possible for those trees to break a bit more quickly most roads are covered in ice too and white spread power outage is also possible this will not be a big snowfall event for us so the greater snowfall totals three plus inches generally north of our region

The snow totals around the triangle, mainly around an inch or less. We could maybe get into that one to two inch zone for I-85 and north, maybe two to three inches. But I really think that's reserved for Mecklenburg County and north. Here's a live look, downtown Raleigh, 40 degrees right now in Dorman, Raleigh, 36 in Sanford, 30 in Roxburgh. It's 45 in Goldsboro, right now in Fayetteville. Now, this is the cold air. Yesterday I showed you that map with the extreme. Yeah, Joe was like, I don't think so.

But look, 47 degrees is how it feels in Minneapolis. The wind chill in Bismarck, 43. This is the Arctic air, and that's not even the core of it. It's still north in Canada. But that's going to be rolling our way, and that's what sets the stage. That's the cold air that we need for this event. So Sunday at 1 a.m. It's going to feel like single digits, some of us below zero, down into the teens,

into the afternoon hours, only to drop again into Sunday night and Monday morning. So Monday afternoon, the high temperature is 36, but it's going to feel like 3.0. 30 degrees. That's during the day. So the problem is you reach your high around 2, 3 o'clock, as for a short time. So most of the day will be spent below the freezing mark. Here, your forecast feels like temperatures into next week, too. Sunday, it feels like 10 degrees. Monday, it feels like 18 in the morning. Tuesday, it feels like zero. That's for the triangle, which means in the northern counties, it's going to feel like below zero. Wednesday, it's going to feel like 10. Thursday, it's going to feel like 12. This is why it's so important

that if you lose power, you have a place in a way to stay warm because if you lose power for days, these are the conditions you have to deal with. So very critical for us to be prepared for this storm this time around. High temperatures today near 50 degrees. Overnight lows will be in the 20s and low 30s. There's that first alert 70 forecast powered by ACUweather. So 50 the high today, a few showers, very light rain showers for us today. We'll see that winter weather getting underway late tomorrow afternoon, early evening. So you have your daytime hours to still prepare. Get that last haircut. Do that last minute grocery shopping.

30 degrees on Saturday. 29 on Sunday. Winter weather wraps up late Sunday night in terms of accumulation, but the cold air sticks around through all of next week. Weather and traffic together, Anna, Joel, back to you. Well, overall, looking good on the roads, Quaylin, not too much to worry about so far for your Friday morning commute. We do have some type of road hazard, though.

It's at Sanderford Road at Rock Quarry Road. You can see it's not causing any delays. Let's take the live look outside. This is a view of US One and Tryon Road. you can see traffic is still really light. 523 now in the popular short form video app, TikTok, finalizing that deal to keep operating in the U.S. What we know about the new American ownership group

that's now taking over the platform. The deal to save TikTok in the U.S. has now been finalized. Here's ABC Sophie Flee with this morning's Tech Fights. In today's Tech Fights, TikTok has finalized a deal to continue operating in the U.S. TikTok says the new joint venture with major investors, including Oracle's Larry Ellison, will operate under defined safeguards that protect national security.

A 2024 law required the app to divest from its Chinese owner because of national security concerns. Next, Snapchat has updated its parental controls. They're meant to give parents more information about who their kids are connecting with and what features they use most. The new data could help parents decide if it's time to limit any parts of their child's activity. And Sony is releasing new turntables for the first time in seven years. One is considered entry level. The other uses high quality components.

Both can play a record with the touch of one button. Prices start around $400. They'll be out next month. Those are tech bites. I'm Sophie Flee. Have a great day. Today we are tracking the chance for some rain across the viewing area, and we are first alerting you about the risk for that snowstorm this weekend.

Meteorologist Kualin Murphy has your forecast in the next half hour.