This page provides the latest information on Town of Wake Forest operations during severe weather. Announcements about town services are also provided in Town news releases and E-Alerts, through the Town app, and on Facebook.
Please bookmark this page, then during severe weather events check it often for updates as schedules are subject to change.
During significant weather events, this page is provided as a function of the Town of Wake Forest app.
Winter Weather Update
Wednesday, Jan. 22 | 6:30 pm
Most Wake Forest streets are clear, but icy areas remain a problem and are especially dangerous on bridges and in shaded areas.
NCDOT crews are and treating state-maintained roads, while Public Works crews are spreading sand and salt along town-maintained roads and historically icy areas
If you must venture out, proceed with caution. Temperatures will continue to drop overnight, so anything wet on hard surfaces—especially bridges and overpasses - is likely to refreeze, creating hazardous travel conditions. Accidents often happen when drivers are lulled into a false sense of security and go too fast. They hit a slick spot and spin out. So please, slow down and proceed with extreme caution.
Also, before driving, remove the ice and snow from your vehicle, particularly from the hood, windows, and roof. Ice and snow that dislodges from a moving vehicle can create hazardous driving conditions for other vehicles.
Openings & Closings on Thursday, Jan. 23
Wake Forest Town Hall, 301 S. Brooks St., will open and operate Thursday according to its normal schedule.
Wake Forest Renaissance Centre, 405 S. Brooks St., will open Thursday at 9 a.m., and operate according to its normal schedule.
Joyner Park Community Center, 701 Harris Road, and Flaherty Park Community Center, 1226 N. White St., will open Thursday at 8 a.m. and close at 9 p.m. Alston-Massenburg Center, 416 N. Taylor St., will open and operate Thursday according to the normal schedule (noon-8 p.m.).
Northern Wake Senior Center, 235 E. Holding Ave., will open Thursday at 10 a.m. and close at 5 p.m.
NCFST Mobile Market
- The Northern Community Food Security Team (NCFST) Mobile Market will operate across from the Northern Regional Center, 350 E. Holding Ave., Thursday, Jan. 23, from 3-5 p.m.
Martin Luther King Community Celebration
- The Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Celebration, originally scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 23, has been rescheduled for Thursday, Jan. 30. Community members are invited to attend the observance at 6:30 p.m. at Friendship Chapel Baptist Church, 237 Friendship Chapel Road.
Solid Waste
The Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday trash and recycling routes will be collected one day later than normal and extend into Saturday. So, Wednesday’s routes will be collected Thursday, Thursday’s routes will be collected Friday, and Friday’s routes will be collected Saturday.
Yard waste collection is delayed but will run according to the normal schedule.
Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources
- Thursday's winter off-season development baseball program has been canceled.
All youth basketball games scheduled for Thursday have been canceled and will be rescheduled.
NOTE: The Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department's inclement weather policy states that whenever inclement weather conditions force the Wake County Public School System to close schools or implement an early release, then all PRCR games and practices will be canceled at all sites.
Go Wake Forest
- On Thursday, Go Wake Forest will operate according to the normal schedule (6 a.m.-9:30 p.m.)
Winter Weather Update
Wednesday, Jan. 22 | 3 pm
Due to wintry weather and potentially dangerous driving conditions, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Celebration, originally scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 23, has been rescheduled for Thursday, Jan. 30. Community members are invited to attend the observance at 6:30 p.m. at Friendship Chapel Baptist Church, 237 Friendship Chapel Road.
Winter Weather Update
Wednesday, Jan. 22 | 7 am
A winter storm left a coating of powdery snow in Wake Forest and across the Triangle overnight. As a result, Wake Forest Police and the NC State Highway Patrol are urging motorists to stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary. The main issue for drivers is secondary roads which are covered in snow and ice.
Wake Forest road crews are spreading sand and salt along some thoroughfares and in historically icy areas. The work will continue throughout the day.
Openings & Closings
Wake Forest Town Hall, 301 S. Brooks St., will open at 10 a.m.
UPDATE - Wake Forest Renaissance Centre, 405 S. Brooks St., will be closed today. All classes are canceled.
All Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources (PRCR) facilities, including Joyner Park Community Center, 701 Harris Road, Flaherty Park Community Center, 1226 N. White St., Wake Forest Community House, 133 W. Owen Ave., and Alston-Massenburg Center, 416 N. Taylor St., are closed today (Wednesday, Jan. 22).
Northern Wake Senior Center, 235 E. Holding Ave., and Meals on Wheels are closed today.
Solid Waste
Today's curbside trash and recycling collections have been canceled. As a result, the Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday routes will be collected one day later than normal and extend into Saturday. So, Wednesday’s route will be collected Thursday, Thursday’s route will be collected Friday, and Friday’s route will be collected Saturday.
Yard waste collection is delayed but will run according to the normal schedule.
Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources
All PRCR programs scheduled for today are canceled.
All youth basketball games scheduled for today have been canceled and will be rescheduled.
NOTE: The Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department's inclement weather policy states that whenever inclement weather conditions force the Wake County Public School System to close schools or implement an early release, then all PRCR games and practices will be canceled at all sites.
Go Wake Forest
- UPDATE - Go Wake Forest will delay the start of service today until 10 a.m. and suspend service at 6 p.m.
Traffic Update
- As of 6 a.m., two minor weather-related traffic mishaps have been reported – neither involving serious injuries.
Wake Forest Police say roads are icy and dangerous. Drivers are strongly urged to stay off the roads - unless absolutely necessary. When you venture out on the roads, you not only put yourself at risk, but you also put others in jeopardy. Then, if you are involved in an accident, police officers and first responders are at risk. You can help yourself, your neighbors, law enforcement and first responders by simply staying off the roads.
If you must venture out, first remove the ice and snow from your vehicle, particularly from the hood, windows and roof. Ice and snow that dislodges from a moving vehicle can create hazardous driving conditions for other vehicles resulting in property damage and/or injury.
Also, while driving, turn on your headlights, and give extra following distance to allow more stopping time on slippery surfaces.
Wake Forest Power
- As of 6 a.m., no power outages have been reported.
Winter Weather Update
Tuesday, Jan. 21 | 9 pm
Road Conditions
As of 9 p.m., no weather-related traffic mishaps have been reported.
However, Wake Forest Police say roads are icy and dangerous. Drivers are strongly urged to stay off the roads - unless absolutely necessary. When you venture out on the roads, you not only put yourself at risk, but you also put others in jeopardy. Then, if you are involved in an accident, police officers and first responders are at risk. You can help yourself, your neighbors, law enforcement and first responders by simply staying off the roads.
If you must venture out, first remove the ice and snow from your vehicle, particularly from the hood, windows and roof. Ice and snow that dislodges from a moving vehicle can create hazardous driving conditions for other vehicles resulting in property damage and/or injury.
Also, while driving, turn on your headlights, and give extra following distance to allow more stopping time on slippery surfaces.
Motorists are also urged not to park on the street, so plows and other Town equipment can service the area.
Openings & Closings
All PRCR facilities, including Joyner Park Community Center, 701 Harris Road, Flaherty Park Community Center, 1226 N. White St., Wake Forest Community House, 133 W. Owen Ave., and Alston-Massenburg Center, 416 N. Taylor St., will be closed Wednesday, Jan. 22, and all PRCR programs are canceled.
Attention Sledders
Before you sled on private property, be sure to obtain permission from the property owner first. Otherwise, you're trespassing.
Attention Pedestrians
When you're out and about, please walk along sidewalks, not in the street and roadway. During wintry weather events, police often witness pedestrians walking in the middle of the road. During wintry weather, your chances of being struck by a motorist are much greater due to poor visibility and icy road conditions.
Winter Weather Update
Tuesday, Jan. 21 | 2 pm
With weather forecasters calling for the possibility of frozen precipitation tonight, the Town of Wake Forest is prepared should wintry weather affect our community. A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for Wake County from 5 p.m. today (Tuesday, Jan. 21) until 7 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22. Snow accumulations of up to one inch are expected.
Normal Operations
The Wake Forest Town Hall, 301 S. Brooks St., Wake Forest Renaissance Centre, 405 S. Brooks St., and Northern Wake Senior Center, 235 E. Holding Ave., will operate today according to their normal schedules.
Tonight’s Board of Commissioners meeting will proceed as scheduled at 6 p.m. in the Town Hall Board Chambers.
Schedule Changes
Due to the forecast, the following Wake Forest programs, services, and facilities are impacted:
Today’s Youth League Basketball games and winter off-season development baseball program are canceled.
Joyner Park Community Center, 701 Harris Road, Flaherty Park Community Center, 1226 N. White St., Wake Forest Community House, 133 W. Owen Ave., and Alston-Massenburg Center, 416 N. Taylor St., will close today at 5 p.m. A decision about tomorrow’s schedules will be announced by 7 a.m. Wednesday.
Go Wake Forest will suspend service today (Tuesday, Jan. 21), at 7 p.m. and delay the start of service on Wednesday, Jan. 22, until 8 a.m.
Northern Wake Senior Center and Meals on Wheels will be closed Wednesday, Jan. 22.
Public Works
In anticipation of this winter event, crews began applying brine to Wake Forest bridges, overpasses, and traditional slick spots on Tuesday morning.
Brine is a salt and water mixture. The use of brine uses less salt since it is applied in liquid form, and the salt can begin to work immediately. Unlike rock salt which can roll off or be blown off hard surfaces, brine bonds to the pavement. It is also more effective than solid salt in lower temperatures. Once ice forms on roads, crews spread a mixture of salt and sand to melt the ice.
Wake Forest has over 300 tons of sand/salt mix supply on site, along with eight truck-mounted plows, one motor grader and two backhoes available to clear Wake Forest's 156 miles of roads. Crews are positioned to respond around the clock until this event has ended and roads are safe.
In the event of ice or snow, crews will clear thoroughfares and primary roads first. Motorists are urged not to park on the street, so plows and other Town equipment can effectively service the area. The Town does not clear school parking lots or private parking lots, including those in apartment and condominium complexes or at businesses.