Rocky Mount Prepares for Up to 10 Inches of Snow

Crews mobilize to keep roads clear as winter storm approaches

Jan. 30, 2026 at 5:23pm

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Residents east of Raleigh, North Carolina are bracing for a snowy weekend, with forecasts calling for up to 10 inches of snow. The City of Rocky Mount has been preparing since Thursday, deploying brine, salt, and sand across roads and bridges. Officials say they have 11 snow plows ready to clear the streets once the snow starts accumulating.

Why it matters

Heavy snowfall can create dangerous driving conditions and disrupt daily life. Rocky Mount's proactive preparations aim to keep roads passable and ensure public safety during the winter storm.

The details

Rocky Mount's public works crews have been treating roads with brine and salt since Thursday. They have applied about 12,000 gallons of brine, salted and sanded 32 bridges, and treated 257 miles of city streets. Once the snow starts, they will deploy 11 snow plows, with a few spares on hand if needed. The city says it recently stocked up on salt and sand in anticipation of the storm.

  • On Thursday, Rocky Mount crews began preparing for the storm by treating roads.
  • On Friday, plow trucks were lined up and ready to go outside the City of Rocky Mount Environmental Services site.

The players

Tim Farmer

Rocky Mount director of public works.

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What they’re saying

“Luckily, we had recently ordered a large amount of salt, we stocked up on our salt for our brining operations. We stocked up on our sand. We had enough trucks ready. We're doing a combination of our leaf collections right now in these winter months, so we just convert the trucks over, install the plows. It's quick turnover, so we just bounce back from the ice and jump on the snow.”

— Tim Farmer, Rocky Mount director of public works

What’s next

Once the snow starts accumulating, Rocky Mount public works crews will work around the clock to clear the roads.

The takeaway

Rocky Mount's proactive preparations, including pre-treating roads and having snow plows ready, demonstrate the city's commitment to keeping residents safe and roads passable during the upcoming winter storm.