5 p.m. Update: The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory regarding widespread black ice in the mountains and other parts of North Carolina. The advisory remains in effect until noon Tuesday, Dec. 28.

12:45 p.m. Update: If band members are traveling on Monday, Dec. 27, interstates, highways and main thoroughfares near WCU are reported as mainly clear. Drivers should continue to check with the N.C. Department of Transportation website as local conditions change and may very widely and to exercise caution as there may be slick spots, especially in shaded areas, on roadways, said Tammi Hudson, WCU’s emergency manager. The roads are expected to refreeze tonight.

9:30 a.m Update: Band members whose actual flights out of Atlanta are not until Wednesday are asked to delay driving to campus until Tuesday. Students who are meeting on campus Monday to travel to Atlanta to fly out on Tuesday are advised to check local conditions before traveling. Band members are advised to contact Jon Henson, assistant band director, if they have problems. Henson’s contact information is included in student packets and an e-mail sent to the band.

WCU Pride of the Mountains Marching Band members planning to travel to campus today in advance of flying to California on Tuesday, Dec. 28, are advised to check road conditions by visiting the N.C. Department of Transportation website or by calling 511 from their cell phones before leaving.

“Local conditions will vary greatly,” said Tammi Hudson, WCU’s emergency manager.

Western North Carolina received more snow overnight Sunday, Dec. 26, and transportation officials are out in full force moving snow and salting and sanding roads, said Hudson.

“Road conditions currently are not good,” said Hudson. As of 8:30 a.m., portions of interstates in Haywood and Buncombe counties were partially covered with snow and could have icy spots. Travel was down to one lane on some sections. Semi-trucks unable to make it up a hill between mile markers 35 and 37 on Interstate 40 in Haywood County were waiting on salt and sand trucks Monday morning.

Local conditions will vary greatly, said Hudson. She emphasized students need to check current conditions by visiting the N.C. Department of Transportation website or by calling 511 from a cell phone before traveling. Current conditions in WNC suggest that it may be safest to delay travel to between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.  and then to travel only if conditions permit.

“For students who do travel to campus today, we advise arriving before nightfall when it gets cold and roads refreeze,” said Hudson.

Visit the N.C. Department of Transportation website or call 511 from a cell phone to check road conditions.

Updates will be posted as warranted here at https://roseparade.wcu.edu.

(Semi-)related posts: See the progress of the trucks carrying the band’s equipment across the country