ABC11 Eyewitness News - Eyewitness News at Noon - February 2, 2026

Episode Date: February 2, 2026

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Right now on I would just do it noon, the February freeze, the new record low temperature set this morning. We'll show you the conditions on secondary roads. Plus a warning about the dangers of frozen and icy lakes and ponds after incidents involving two children in the triangle. And some homes on the outer banks, no match for this rare winter snowstorm on the coast. Four homes are now gone. It's the news at noon. Right now, live coverage from your local newsleader. top stories you need to know and your first alert forecast. Here's what's happening where you live. This is ABC 11 eyewitness news. Good Monday afternoon on the second day of February. Thanks for starting

your week off with us. I'm Amber Rupena. And I'm Barbara Gibbs. Great news to bring you this noon as we take a live look at the Raleigh skyline. We're going to see a lot of sunshine today. Look at those blue skies today with highs in the upper 30s to tackle what's left of the weekend snowstorm. Meteorologist Quaylin Murphy joins us now with more Quay. Good afternoon. Fayetteville setting a record this morning for its cold temperatures. It was cold all around, but Fayville did drop to 12 degrees this morning. Establishing a new record low. The old record was set in 1971, so it's been standing for a while. That was 15 degrees. It was cold everywhere. This needs to be updated by the weather service. We'll get that information later today. It was 12 degrees in Raleigh, 12 in Durham, so 20 degrees below average. But check out how much colder it was to the west. Zero in Siler City. That was the actual temperature.

7 in Burlington, 5 in Sanford. At one point, Burlington had a wind chill value of three below zero. Consider this is where some of the heaviest snowpack is right now too. So that's where some of the coldest air was late last night. Here's a light look from RDU. Still some icy patches out there on those jet bridges. And those are the things you have to watch out for today too. Anything that looks like it could be wet, just take it as some icy patches just to be careful out there.

Temperatures right now are in the 30, so we're now rising about freezing. I stepped outside for a moment. It's crazy. What a difference these temperatures make compared to the cold weekend blast. It feels much warmer. Feels like temperatures also matching the actual temperature for the most part with the winds picking up gradually. We'll have more of a southerly flow through the afternoon. And tonight it's not going to raise our temperatures too much today, but definitely tomorrow.

You'll notice the difference. Highs today approaching 40 degrees, lots of sunshine. Seven o'clock, we're clear. We're back below freezing. That's where we'll start to see some refreezing concerns for anything that does not evaporate through the afternoon. More clouds, though, starts to end up picture tomorrow morning. at 7 a. 30s though by 10 a.m. So that temperature climbing pretty quickly. Those clouds coming in with a disturbance we're tracking, which will bring us some showers by the middle of the week. In the meantime, black ice concerns tonight with those wet spots refreezing. Also slow snow melting through the week to high temperatures above freezing, but not quite to average just yet. And by the middle of the week, your first alert for mainly rainfall could end as a few flakes late Wednesday night Thursday, but of no consequence for us. Don't worry about any major accumulation. We'll have more. that big warmup coming in the next 10 days in a few minutes right now back to you all right we need the warm

up way thank you yeah the thought from the weekend snowstorm as quailan said is now underway this is shopper 11 giving us a bird's eye view of the impacts though from the latest winter storm this is the north hills area and you can see a lot of those rows are still covered in snow the sun though is hard at work to help with some of that melting well a warning this afternoon about the dangerous ice covering lakes and ponds. This after two people had to be rescued from a frozen pond in Kerry, Bianca Holman shows us how quickly things can turn dangerous. So seeing a top layer of frozen ice can be exciting for kids when it snows, but emergency response crews and doctors want parents to emphasize to their children to never walk out on icy water just like this one, and that's

the exact spot where a boy fell through the water this past weekend. On Sunday, emergency rescue cruising, Carrie pulled out two people from this icy water. It happened just after 1230 on Sunday 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 quickly after he saw a 10-year-old boy fall through the icy pond. The man and the young boy had to be rescued. They were taken to the hospital bar expected to recover and be okay. Doctors tell eyewitness news, hypothermia can be life-threatening. So the early stages, you'll just sort of shiver, you know, get kind of the goosebumps, the normal body response to colder temperatures. But unfortunately,

as you get into the dangerously cold temperatures, you lose that response. And so you don't really shiver anymore. You can start to get some of the lack of blood flow to your fingers, to your toes. That's when people start to have the risk of frostbite and the circulation doesn't really go to your extremities anymore. And then after that, you start to see the effects on the heart and the brain. It's now the second incident this past weekend where a boy had to be rescued from icy water in Wake County. An 11-year-old boy fell through the ice at Womble Park in Holly Springs on Saturday. Officials say the child was checked out and reunited with his parents. First responders are warning everyone never to walk out onto an icy body of water in North Carolina.

It can be dangerous. In Carrie, Bianca Holman, ABC 11, eyewitness news. Dangerous indeed. Well, the sunshine today is a welcome site. it will help to improve road conditions following the storm. And while most of the major roads are in good shape, the secondary roads and neighborhood streets can be still covered in snow and ice and slush. Tamara Scott joins us now with more on that. Tamara, good afternoon.

You've been riding around all morning. What are you seeing? Hey, good afternoon, you guys. Yeah, you'll find two different stories out here in the streets in Raleigh. You find roads that look just like this. They look almost completely cleared off. And then you'll also find roads that look just like this. where it looks like the snow didn't fall two days ago.

It fell maybe earlier this morning. It's still very snow and compact, and most likely these roads will be right next to each other. We've driven all around different parts of Raleigh, from downtown Raleigh, all the way to Lead Mine Road and Forest Oaks. While many of the main roads have cleared, the secondary back roads and even school bus lots still have a lot of work ahead of them before they're safe again.

Nonetheless, many people are taking advantage of the snow. We moved from New York City last year where we had a lot more snow, and so they miss it, so they're happy to be here. That's Davey Young and his two girls at William Peace College, having some fun in the snow. I did slip a little bit on the way over here, so there's still some ice for sure. So try your best to avoid that. We were out here yesterday. It's a little warmer today. A little warmer, and yet still cold enough to put on some skis and hit the park.

It's so funny because we haven't had snow for years. Like last year we had a little snow, but then before that, we hadn't had any for like years, except for that big blizzard. Yeah, but perfect timing for us. Perfect timing because this couple picked up these skis on Friday from a neighbor giving them away. Today, they try them out for the first time. It's much harder than you think. It takes a lot of concentration.

It looks so easy. And then when you're out there, you're like, oh, my gosh, it's so hot. I'm so hot because it's really a workout. Leah Perry even let me try the communal skis on for a ride. She's right. It's harder than it looks, but she says it's worth the try. We don't see a lot of this here in Raleigh because we just don't get as much snow. Oh, right. I may never use these again. Who knows? It's the Raleigh factor. And another huge factor here in terms of the snow melting away is going to be the sun.

Obviously, the temp's going up too. This yard has no more snow in the yard right next to it still has so much snow. So low temps, it's going to take some time for all of these roads to clear up. So take your time traveling if you don't have to be out. don't go out and maybe take some time to learn a new skill. Back to you. All right. Thank you so much. I'm glad you got to try that. I want to try it too. So we'll see. Well, you look good. All right. Thank you so much. Tamara Scott live for us. All right, check this out. We've got a live picture. This is Person County. Younger Road there, and you can see at least this neighborhood there, but the county may be throughout the county in a deep freeze after the weekend winter storm. As much as five inches of snow fell on parts of Roxborough on Saturday. And many of roads there are covered in ice and snow just like this one here. And this is one of our breaking news vehicles. On Younger Road, officials say it could take days to get back to normal, more normal driving conditions, maybe longer than that to get truly back to normal. Let's take a live look at at RDU as well over the weekend. The airport saw major flight disruptions with hundreds of flights

either canceled or delayed. But right now, things are looking pretty good there. According to Flight Aware, there is just one flight canceled so far today, at least 25. delays though. Meantime a very different story in the Queen City the Charlotte Douglas Airport still working to get back on track following this weekend's winter weather right now there are 90 cancellations more than a hundred and forty delays actually it looks like it's grown to two hundred and twelve yeah two twelve as always if you do have travel plans be sure to check your flight status ahead of time boy they're gonna it's gonna take a while for them to get back

to normal too and new at noon one of the most unusual parts of the storm the accumulation on our coast let's go to the outer banks now where there's a lot of damage from the winter storm. The higher winds caused homes to collapse into the ocean. And boy, just incredible pictures here. According to the National Park Service, a total of four more homes fell in the ocean overnight in Buxton. And here's one of the homes that collapsed in Buxton there. This photo is shared with eyewitness news by the island free press newspaper. The National Park Service says no one was inside that home at the time. The public is urged to stay away from this area because of the hazardous debris.

but boy, unbelievable sight there on our coast. The snow is still impacting service operations across the viewing area as well. All non-essential offices in Durham County will remain closed today. We've also learned that all non-essential services in Wake County will remain closed as well. They originally were scheduled to open today at noon, but that has now changed. And don't forget to tap the ABC 11 app, you can find the latest watches and warnings. You can also check the first alert Doppler net and the 7-8 forecast anytime. We turn out to an exclusive interview with the father and his five-year-old son who are back home in Minneapolis after spending more than a week in federal custody in Texas.

It comes as the House plans to vote on funding for ICE, which falls under the Department of Homeland Security. ABC's Criston Cordero has the details from Washington. It was an image that captured the attention of millions, five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his blue bunny hat standing outside of his Minneapolis home as government officials hold on to his backpack. He and his father were sent to a Texas detention facility more than one week ago, but today are back in Minnesota, reunited with family. ABC News exclusively joined Liam and his dad, Adrienne Conejo Arias, on their journey back home Sunday. A U.S. District Judge ordered their release in a scathing ruling, writing, quote, the case has its genesis in the ill-conceived and incompetently implemented government pursuit of daily deportation quotas.

Apparently, even if it requires. traumatizing children, end quote. The Department of Homeland Security says ICE did not target or arrest a child, claiming Adrian ran away when agents approached him, leaving his son behind. The government says you abandon your son. ABC's John Quignonez followed up with Adrian who denies abandoning Liam, saying all he did was shout. Lawyers for the Cunejo family argue they entered the U.S. legally

and have followed all appropriate circumstances. steps for asylum. The DOJ vows to fight that in court. To the extent that we need to appeal that judge's decision, I promise we will. Here in Washington, much of the government is shut down today as Congress faced with Democratic demands for immigration reform works on separating the main funding bill from long-term funding for DHS. The main funding bill has passed the Senate. It faces an uncertain future in the House. Christianne Cordero, ABC News, Washington. Christian, thank you. A person infected with measles traveling through one of the largest airports in the United States. That story just ahead. And the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. scheduled to close for the next couple of years. We'll tell you why. Two minutes away.

President Trump announces the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts recently renamed the Trump. Kennedy Center will close for two years for renovation. And it follows weeks of controversy surrounding his changes to the world famous venue. Here's ABC's Alison Kosick. This morning, it appears the Kennedy Center in Washington could be taking a long intermission, possibly closing for two years, beginning July 4th, pending board approval. President Trump announcing the iconic arts complex will undergo construction, calling it tired, broken, and in bad condition. The move comes after Trump's hand-picked board named him chairman, then changed the name to the

Trump Kennedy Center. Several performers have since canceled, including composer. composer Philip Glass, soprano Renee Fleming, a touring group of Hamilton, and the Washington National Opera ended its 50-year affiliation with the venue. Overnight, members of the Kennedy family reacting, Maria Shriver, a niece of John F. Kennedy, writing a satirical translation of Trump's announcement, saying, it's been brought to my attention that entertainers are canceling left and right, and I have determined that since the name change, no one wants to perform there any longer. Allison Kosick ABC News, New York.

All right, one groundhog sees his shadow today. Does that mean they all agree. And six more weeks of winter is definitely going to happen instead of an early spring. That story's just ahead. We'll check. And the frantic search for the mother of today's show host Savannah Guthrie in two minutes where she was last seen and why police are very concerned about her safety. And a hero dog helps find a North Carolina child with special needs during the winter storm. Look at that. Faith. that story's new at 1230. Grabat Studio, your new foundation. Use PDF spaces to generate a presentation.

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Investing is all about the future. So what do you think is going to happen? Bitcoin is sort of inevitable at this point. I think it would come down to precious metals. I hope we don't go cashless. I would say land is a safe investment. Technology companies. Solar energy.

Robotic pollinators might be a thing. A wrestler to face a robot? That will have to happen. So whatever you think is going to happen in the future, you can invest in it at Wealth Simple. Start now. at WealthSimple.com. There are brand new developments this afternoon in the disappearance of the mother of today's show host, Savannah Guthrie.

Police now confirm there is evidence that a crime has been committed. 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie was last seen near her home in Tucson. Her family reported her missing on Sunday. Investigators now say that there are things at her home they find concerning. I think what's concerning is what's at the scene at the home is of concern to us. So much so we've decided we're going to call out our homicide team. Police are using drones and search dogs to look for Guthrie. Her family says that she takes medication that if she does not have it in 24 hours,

then that could be deadly. Well, today is Groundhog Day, and it feels a little more relevant than usual this year, doesn't it? So you know the lore. If the Groundhog sees his shadow, then it is six more weeks of winter. So the Triangle's only official Groundhog Day, groundhog snored won't be doing any prognosticating today that event planned at White Deer Park and Garner canceled due to the weather but I think didn't Puxitani Phil see his yeah yeah still more I actually watched it and

there were two scrolls set out and I guess he preferred one of the other schools I really didn't see like was there a shadow saying he picked a scroll yeah and they read it they had clouds clouds moving in too so I have an issue with Phil we don't we all have an issue yeah I posted something on my Facebook page that said, I think Phil will need extra security. For sure. Yeah, I want to show you, I want to show you the good news, though, in the next 10 days. And that's a nice warm up coming our way.

Next Tuesday and Wednesday, high temperatures approaching 60 degrees. So hang in there if you're ready for some warm conditions and at least ready for the snowball that we so desperately wanted and waited for to go away. We still have temperatures that will climb during the day and drop at night. So we'll have the melting and refreezing likely into the weekend. Here's a view from the beach and it's not a view that we see quite often. Here's the sand, but right here you see the snowfall. So snow-covered beaches continue. This is your view from Surf City in North Carolina. Temperatures right now are above freezing at this point, loaded amid 30s, so we're tracking nicely so far this afternoon. It feels like temperature's not too bad either. Some 20s in the mix areas west and south and west of the triangle 29 degrees of feel in Sanford. So the winds are starting to pick up a bit more, seeing more of a southerly transition here to the south as the winds begin to switch directions with high pressure moving. offshore. We are warmer than yesterday by 5 to 8 degrees right now. Highs will climb to near 40 today. A lot of sunshine continues, winds ultimately switching from the southwest. We'll be in the teens and 20s again

tonight with a few passing clouds late tonight. What roads will refreece tonight too? Most common, certainly in your neighborhoods on so shaded areas where we don't see much sunshine. Of course, be careful on sidewalks and steps parking lots too. We have a system tracking through the Great Lakes. Already seeing some cloud cover in western portions of our state. Those clouds will continue to increase late tonight. Despite the clouds, so we'll warm up into the 40s with high pressure offshore that onshore flow returns. There's the front and disturbance on the way. So it brings that rain potential into Tuesday night and Wednesday. So tomorrow afternoon will be in the 40s with clouds by tomorrow night. Roughly 10, 11 p.m.

We'll have some scattered light rainfall working through. Maybe some light showers for those of even sandhills on daybreak Wednesday. So during morning commutes, but I think dry everywhere else until the afternoon scattered rain. Now the front comes through. We'll still have some lingering moisture. You see what happens here. Transition to some snow showers Wednesday evening. No major accumulation concerns this time around. You can see how limited the moisture will be. So we'll dry out pretty quickly. In the Thursday morning, we start with clouds, but then ultimately we'll clear out. So sunshine will return. And this is the limited moisture in general. Most of us under a quarter of an inch or less. After Wednesday, we're dry through your weekend. So get ready to enjoy some nice conditions. You can see the ups and downs of temperatures with the front coming through Wednesday night, upper 30s behind that front Thursday. We have a couple of. more fronts this weekend. So we'll jump to 46 Friday, but Saturday we're down to 40 degrees. Here's your first alert 70 forecast, powered by ACU weather. So we could see some sort of issuance from the weather service late tonight. We'll see if they decide to go with another winter weather advisory just to account for some icy patches left in the morning.

46 degrees tomorrow afternoon, 44 Wednesday, upper 30s Thursday. The weekend looks great. High temperatures near 40, lows back into the 20s. So no snowfall this weekend. Enjoy that. All right. We will indeed. I don't miss. I ain't mad. Bye. Thank you. A Democrat in Texas flipping a state Senate seat in an area

that Trump carried by 17 points. We'll have the details in two minutes. And we'll take a look at some of the winners and the biggest moments from the Grammy Awards last night, including the awards for the gospel legend from North Carolina. That story new at 1230. Plus, the new information we're learning about the man

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Niels tonight on ABC 11 I Witness News. Newly unsealed documents shed light on the case of a Chicago surgeon accused of murdering his ex-wife and her dentist husband in Ohio. 39-year-old Michael McKee is charged with multiple counts of aggravated murder and one count of aggravated burglary. Spencer and Monica Tepe were found shot to death inside their home in Columbus. In late December, their two young children were in the home. They were still alive. An affidavit reports that Tepe told her friends and family that her ex-husband was abusive and threatened to kill her during and after their marriage of less than two years. They were divorced in 2017.

According to another witness, McKee said that he could kill Tepe at any time and would find her and by the house right next to her and that she will always be his wife, in quotes. If convicted, he faces life in prison with a possibility of parole. Now to a big political upset, Democrat Taylor Rebitt has flipped a Republican-Hellon. Texas state Senate seat in a special election Saturday. Brett Mitt, a union president and Air Force veteran, defeated Republican Lee Wamsgans in a runoff for the 9th district in the Fort Worth area. Williams Gans was backed by Trump, who won the district by 17 points in the 2024 presidential election.

The Texas seat has been vacant since last summer when Republican Kelly Hancock resigned. Democrats flipped more than 20 state legislative seats in special or regularly scheduled elections last year. Most recently in December, they won a Georgia district that Trump had carried by about 12 points. And the NCDOT crews are still hard at work following the winter snow storm. We'll have that story just ahead. And it's not just North Carolina dealing with the snow and the bitter cold. That story ahead as well. And find out why some survivors are asking a judge to shut down the government's Epstein Files website.