WRAL Sports Fan

Duke

Duke, Georgia Tech to play as scheduled despite snow forecast

Jan 17, 2013

Durham, N.C. — Despite the potential for snow accumulation of between 2 and 4 inches across much of the Triangle Thursday night, the Duke Blue Devils will play Georgia Tech at 9 p.m. as scheduled, the school said on its website Thursday afternoon. 

"Duke officials have been closely monitoring weather forecasts and conditions and will communicate updates as conditions warrant, but at this time plan to operate on a normal schedule tonight and tomorrow," the school said on its website.

University crews will begin prepping walkways, entrances and parking lots Thursday afternoon and have plans to begin clearing any snow from campus roadways early Friday morning if necessary.

Any snow that accumulates during the game will be cleared as part of the "priority clearing plan" for a basketball event. That plan is available on Duke's website.

Some forecasting models show as many as 4 inches of snow falling in Raleigh to 5.5 inches in Roxboro, but WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner said accumulation will vary based on when temperatures closer to freezing arrive in the Triangle.

"Does the cold air get here fast enough? That is really the big question," she said. "If it doesn't, we'll get a very brief period of snow and little to no accumulation. If the cold air does push in sooner, then we do have the potential for a more significant storm. It's going to go down to the wire, and really could go either way."

• Web Editor: Derek Medlin