By Paul T. Choate
Jan. 25, 2013. Ice and freezing rain across the High Country has forced area schools to close today. The freezing rain has tapered off for now, but up to three of inches of snow is expected going into the afternoon and evening hours.
Both Watauga County Schools and Avery County Schools are closed today for students and faculty. Two Rivers Community School, a tuition-free public charter school in Boone, is also closed today.
Classes held after 12 p.m. at Appalachian State University have been canceled and the university said on their website to monitor the AppalCART website for changes in routes today.
The Watauga campus of Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute is also closed today due to icy road conditions.
Alleghany, Ashe and Watauga counties remain under a winter weather advisory through midnight tonight. However, Ray’s Weather Center said, “The world will not end today — I’ve seen lots of over-hyping of the event.”
Some area churches, civic organizations and businesses are also reporting closures or delays for today. To view those, visit ncweatherclosings.com, a service provided by Ray’s Weather Center.