Just enough to leave a beautiful white blanket on the ground without all the traffic nightmares…that’s what Mother Nature dealt the Roanoke-Chowan area.

Local residents awoke Thursday morning and were greeted by up to three inches of snow that began falling shortly before midnight Wednesday. Some ventured outside to clear their vehicles for the trip to work or elsewhere.

R-C area roads are wet, but for the most part are free of snow and ice. There are some slushy areas and most bridges and overpasses are slippery. Please drive with caution in and around these areas.

Meanwhile, some local schoolchildren will enjoy a day off from their academic work as R-C area education officials either canceled classes or opened school on a delayed basis. Some businesses operated on a two-hour delay.

Today’s snowfall began tapering off around 8 a.m. and is predicted to come to a complete end before noon.

The sun will appear this afternoon, where highs are expected in the low 40’s. Tonight’s low will dip into the mid-20’s – meaning any leftover moisture will freeze. That may lead to patches of black ice on roads, sidewalks and parking lots, so exercise caution while traveling by vehicle or walking Thursday night and Friday morning.

From Friday through Sunday, look for sunny skies and temperatures to warm into the 50’s over the weekend.