As ice melted on tree branches Monday morning, it sounded as though it was still raining.
Although most of the frozen precipitation that fell on Sunday is gone, the winter weather is not.
The National Weather Service has issued a cold weather advisory from 9 p.m. Monday until 10 a.m. Tuesday, with overnight lows expected to dip into the mid-teens with wind chills in the single digits.
Lows for the rest of the week are expected to range between the mid-teens and lower 20s.
Prolonged exposure to cold temps can lead to hypothermia, forecasters warn.
Meteorologists are watching weather patterns for a chance of snow in the coming weekend.
The county had set up an emergency shelter at Richmond Senior High School in response to this past weekend’s storm, with two residents taking the offer. The shelter closed at noon Monday.
According to a press release issued by the county on Monday, 372 homes and businesses lost power during the storm. It appears all Duke Energy and Pee Dee Electric customers were restored by 4:30 p.m.
Across the Carolinas, Duke still has more than 21,000 customers without power, with the majority being in Henderson County in North Carolina and Oconee and Pickens counties in South Carolina.
“Road conditions across Richmond County are steadily improving,” reads a press release issued Monday. “While most roadways are clear, residents are advised to remain cautious of isolated icy spots, particularly in shaded areas and on bridges. North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) continues to work diligently, utilizing salt trucks to address remaining hazardous areas.”
County officials advise residents to be cautious of black ice Monday night into Tuesday morning.
"Richmond County Government would like to extend its sincere appreciation to all staff, partner agencies, first responders, utility providers, and support organizations for their dedication and assistance throughout Winter Storm Fern," the release reads. "Their coordinated efforts played a critical role in ensuring the safety and well-being of our residents."
Richmond County Schools will have another remote day on Tuesday.
"Out of abundance of caution, Richmond County Schools will continue to operate on a remote instructional day for students, tomorrow, Tuesday, January 27th due to the ice remaining on secondary roads and overnight temperatures that are expected to result in refreezing," reads a release on social media. "Staff will have an optional workday with a two-hour delay.
"Students should complete the second day of remote work assigned by their teachers."
The district plans to resume a normal schedule on Wednesday.
Rockingham will be operating on a two-hour delay on Tuesday, with buildings opening at 10 a.m., while all other services will resume their regular schedules with caution “and may be adjusted as needed to ensure the safety of staff and residents.”
Garbage collection will resume Feb. 27, with Monday and Thursday routes being collected on Tuesday and Thursday, and Tuesday and Friday routes being collected Wednesday and Friday. Residents are encouraged to place carts at the curb on their rescheduled collection day.
Hamlet will resume normal business operations on Tuesday.
