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Icicles cling to the eave of a home in Buccaneer Bay. (Izzy Keppner photo)

5:09p From Pamlico County:

3:37p Foxes, ice covered creeks, and snow drifts. Readers caught all of these in their photos of the weekend snow storm.

Check it out here.

Pastor Anne Sims writes in with gratitude for the community of Oriental.

She thanks Officer Bill Wichrowski, Mark Norman, and all who show up when neighbors are in need. Read it here.

2:03p The Cherry Branch/Minnesott Beach ferry is back in action:

From Pamlico Community College:

Wednesday appears like things will be returning to semi-normal in the village. The Piglet plans to be back to normal hours: 7a – 8p.

Cabin fever may have gotten to some residents. A group of Pickleball players cleared off the courts at Lupton Park for a game.

8:21a First Citizens Bank is back today, open 12noon – 4p. Brantley’s 11a – 6p today. M&Ms Cafe, 11a-until.

7:50a Life is returning to a bit more normal (wise folk do say normal is over-rated).

Oriental got 13” of snow, there were reports of 17” at Minnesott Beach. OK, this was fun. When will it go away?

Its getting up to the mid 40s today, and again Wednesday. It should be above freezing here by mid-morning. Serious melting on the way.

• Oriental NC Forecast
• Oriental Weather Station
• Neuse River Marine Forecast

7:34a A change in plans for Town Hall today. From Town Manager Diane Miller:

No ferry either.

Neighbors on Audubon put the snow to good use Monday:

More snowy weekend pics coming.

3:16p Town Hall will be on a 3 hour delay Tuesday. Trash will be picked up Tuesday. GFL has decided not to run their trucks tomorrow, meaning trash will not be picked up Tuesday.

Recycling will be collected the following two Mondays; Feb 9 & Feb 16.

1:59p The Piglet will close at 4p today, with plans to open at 8a Tuesday.

From Pamlico County:

1:08p Jonathan Weis of Jonathans Automotive Repair writes in with a report on local road conditions:

10:07a Village Hardware is open. Stainless screws and semi-true stories available.

9:00a The Pig is open.

8:39a The Bean really is open. The bank is closed. Pecan Grove Marina is closed, asking boaters to not even try visiting the docks. No ferry.

Overnight low in Oriental, 14.

Roads are icey icey.

12:51p Town Hall is closed Monday. No garbage or recycling pickup Monday either.

Pamlico Community College closed Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 2 and 3.

12:10p The Provision Company on Hodges St is open today, til 4p. Among items they have that you might need: space heaters, wine, beer, quiche. Plus chocolate & peanuts.

10:27a Nautical Wheelers is closed today (both Oriental and New Bern locations).

9:55a Piggly update – the Piglet is closed today. The company hired to clear the parking lot can’t do it, so no Piglet today (Billy had driven in from New Bern).

9:40a Billy has arrived at the Oriental Piglet, scheduled to open at 10a.

The Pig parking lot should get cleared (Highway 55 getting to it is not so cleared).

9:27a From a few minutes ago… the TownDock drone’s eye view:

8:12a High waters have not been an issue. They peaked last night at less than 2 feet. Winds are brisk, but now from the northwest, and forecast to become west late Monday (which will lower waters further).

• Oriental Water Level Gauge

No ferry today, as one might imagine.

8:08a The official TownDock measuring tapes finds 11” in some spots, 13” in others.

This looks like a foot of snow. More snow is coming down now.

This morning Highway 55 was not plowed. It is a state road, so at some point, it should be.

6:50a Welcome to February, you lucky reader.

High today upper 20s, low tonight 9. Nine.

4:12p Five inches of snow measured in downtown Oriental. More coming down.

The forecast is still for 8-12, possibly more.

Snow photos coming Sunday… send yours in to news@towndock.net.

2:58p The Pig closed at 2p. The Silos closing at 3p. Mariposa wine bar closed tonight.

Pamlico County has officially declared the weather situation as a state of emergency.

Thoughtful readers can do their part – don’t drive if you don’t have to. And if you do drive, drive slowww. Don’t be a dumb@$$.

10:36a It’s just a normal snow day in Oriental. Snow is coming down…maybe a half inch so far. Likely a foot to come.

From Nautical Wheelers:

They are cookin’ today at The Silos:

More snow day biz opening info… scroll below.

9:50a Special snow day horoscopes from Salty Celeste.

7:37a It’s fun out there (if you’re calibrated in a certain way). Very light snow so far… but it is out there.

We are still in a 8 to 12 inch snow forecast zone (with the possibility of up to 15”). The heavy snow isn’t expected til tonight.

No ferry today:

If you have last minute food prep to do, the Piglet is open (til 5p today).

7:08p Business hours this weekend are in flux, as folks adapt to the weather. Here’s what we know:

Piggly Wiggly hours posted above.
Saturday: The Bean will open 7:30a, until TBD. Mariposa will open 7a. Brantley’s will be closed. The Silos will open at 11a, until TBD. Ricks BBQ open 11a-6:30p, weather permitting. The Provision Co open Sat 9a-5p, Sun 10a-2p.

Businesses are welcome to email info@towndock.net with this weekend’s open hours info.

4:10p NOAA/NWS Newport NC has issued a flood / water level graphic for the weekend that is good news:

This has our fair village at just 1-2 feet. We’d like this to be right, but planning on the potential of 3-4 ft still seems wise.

3:42p Oriental’s Piggly Wiggly has special snowstorm weekend hours:

• Today: Normal hours, open til 8p.
• Saturday: 7a – 2p
• Sunday: 10a-2p
• Monday: Normal hours, 7a – 8p.

3:40p No food truck today at New Village Brewery, and the brewery is closed Saturday.

3:10p. Cherry Branch suspended ferry runs just 15 minutes ago. Now there is a new announcement: the ferry is running, but on an amended schedule:

3:03p Will water levels rise this weekend? Yes… how much is the question. 2-4 feet forecast, expecting 3-4 feet may be wise.

Northeast and east winds cause maximum wind tide in Oriental. We’ll get northeast tonight, north Saturday and Saturday night. North winds push water levels up, too.

The good news is come Sunday winds will be northwest, probably meaning static water levels (not going up or down too much).

From the Neuse marine forecast – just the winds for the next few days:

• Tonight: Northeast winds 15 to 20 knots, increasing to 20 – 25 after midnight. Gusts to 30 knots.
• Saturday: North winds 25 To 30 Kt, gusts to 35.
• Sat Night: North winds 25 to 35 knots, increasing to 30 to 40 after midnight. Gusts to 50.
• Sunday: Northwest winds 30 to 40 knots, gusts to 50, diminishing in the afternoon to 25 – 30 knots, gusts to 35.
• Sun Night: Northwest winds 20 to 25 knots, diminishing to 15 – 20 after midnight.
• Monday: Northwest winds 10 to 15.

2:54p From Cherry Branch Ferry Operations:

7:58a Up to a foot of snow expected. Add to that, 50 mph wind gusts:

• Oriental NC Forecast
• Oriental Weather Station
• Oriental Water Level Gauge
• Neuse River Marine Forecast
• Pamlico Sound Marine Forecast
• Weather Radar

6:55a For those of you looking forward to taking the Polar Plunge – and those looking forward to watching the plunge – the event has been postponed because of the weather.

From organizer Jessie Aldridge:

The new event is in Lawson Creek Park, February 7. The updated information is here.

6:40p Now the prediction is for even more snow. Like a foot (or more) of the white stuff.

From NOAA/NWS:

• Snowfall rates may exceed 1”- 2”+ an hour during the peak of the storm Saturday Night through Sunday morning. Whiteout conditions possible.
• Blowing and drifting snow is likely, particularly in open areas and where there is exposure to north winds. Very poor visibility will result.
• Travel may be treacherous and potentially life-threatening.

Meanwhile, the incoming snow has Nautical Wheelers moving their wine tastings. From Bill Wheeler:

10:51a After a closed session at the end of today’s Town Board meeting, Commissioners returned to open session to appoint Officer Bill Wichrowski as the Oriental Chief of Police.

He will be sworn in at the February Town Meeting.

10:14a Commissioners met at Town Hall this morning for their January workshop and for the regular Town Board meeting.

Town Lawyer Scott Davis was there and answered Commissioners’ questions on changes to Rules of Procedure, changing existing ordinances, and their role in the meetings.

A report is coming.

3:20p This is confusing. NOAA’s forecast says we’re getting snow Saturday, probably Sunday morning too. It adds the words “little to no snow accumulation.”

Meanwhile, the local NOAA office has created a graphic that says we’re probably (80%) getting over 4 inches of snow.

We just might want to expect snow. And some serious wind tide.

Saturday is forecast to see northeast winds 20-25 knots, becoming north 25-30 in the afternoon. Sat night north 25-25, Sunday northwest 25-35.

• Oriental NC Forecast
• Oriental Weather Station
• Neuse River Marine Forecast

11:42a You were warned. You were given time to plan. Time to create.

And in 72 hours, it could be your time to shine. In whatever outfit you have deemed most worthy.

Saturday is the Pamlico County Special Olympics’ Polar Plunge.

And dear, brave soul – there’s the possibility of snow in the forecast.

TownDock will be there to document your triumph. You should be there with a change of warm clothes.

If you’re feeling brave, click here for a look at 2024’s Polar Plungers.

Sorry, there’s more. Here’s a look at the 2023 Polar Plungers.

To counter all this cold weather, you could pick up something spicy for lunch (today): El Taco Loco food tuck is on site at Triton Yachts.

2:22p It’s cold. It’s also beautiful out there. A good time to ponder boating in the new year.

With that in mind, NCO (Nautical Collective of Oriental) is back with a series of free sailing/boating seminars. Here is what’s ahead:

• Feb 7: Capt John Rahm – 3rd Wave Sailing – 10 Commandments to tie up boat
• Feb 14: Kirk Hathaway Cape Carolina LLC – Keep your Bottom in shape from a Diver’s perspective
• Feb 21: Capt John Rahm – 3rd Wave Sailing – 10 Commandments to dock a boat
• Feb 28: Darrell Foster – Foster Marine Service – Diesel maintenance
• March 7: Kristina Harborne – Evolution Sail – Pre season Sail inspection
• March 14: Darrell Foster – Foster Marine Service – Auxiliary Systems

All seminars are via Zoom. Find out more here.

Last night reached 17 degrees. Tonight, “warmer” – only down to about 20. Saturday and Saturday night are forecast to see snow in Oriental, a 70% chance.

Snow forecasts in eastern North Carolina are uncertain/variable until the day is closer. Simply put, you may want to trust the weekend forecast on Thursday better than today’s.

• Oriental NC Forecast
• Oriental Weather Station
• Neuse River Marine Forecast

1:22p The Gathering, scheduled for 6p tonight @ The Bean, has been cancelled due to the cold (and wet) weather.

7:33a Cold tonight? Forecast to be 18, the coldest of a week of cold nights ahead:

Today’s high mid 40s… it may be the warmest day this week.

• Oriental NC Forecast
• Oriental Weather Station
• Neuse River Marine Forecast

11:11a Rain today, won’t be happening until tomorrow.

OK, that sentence doesn’t quite jive. But we did have expectations of a wet Saturday. Precipitation is now not forecast until after midnight, with temperatures actually rising overnight. As a result, local icy conditions are unlikely.

An updated video from NOAA showing precipitation timing. Red = freezing rain, green just rain.

11:05a More weather changes: The Angry Lobster food truck at New Village Brewery has cancelled today due to weather conditions.

10:55a Today was set to be the day for Nautical Wheeler’s monthly wine tastings. The weather situation has re-scheduled that: From Bill Wheeler:

Postponed, same great wines but next weekend. This weekend’s wine tastings with Stephanie at Nautical Wheelers are being postponed until Friday, January 30th New Bern 4-6, Saturday, January 31st at 2 and 3pm in Oriental.
These wines are waiting on the shelves and a few folks have already picked up a bottle of the Paso Robles Red while preparing for snow and ice. Nautical Wheelers is open 10- 5:30 every day, rain or sleet or sunshine.

3:40p Some folks move away from Oriental… then miss this odd lil’ town, and move back a few years later. Some do it more than once.

One couple may have top billing in this category. They have moved away, and came back, nine times over 40 years.

In between it all, they have built houses and boats. Meet Katy Burke & Taz Waller.

The latest NOAA update continues to suggest that freezing rain Saturday will stay west of Oriental.

• Oriental NC Forecast
• Oriental Weather Station
• Weather Radar
• Neuse River Marine Forecast

8:37a When does trouble arrive? This video from NOAA shows the precipitation arriving. Red means freezing rain, green is just rain.

4:45p Total ice projections from NOAA now show all ice accumulation will be west of us. ‘

For our town, nada, zip, nuthin.

9:24a Putting aside anxiety about a wintery weekend, today is nice. Really nice.

Partly sunny, highs about 60. You lucky dawg.

OK. Back to weather anxiety.

Is your boat ready for the weekend? One part of boat life and weather is marine canvas. Breena Litzenberger takes a look a boat canvas and winter weather… in Canvas Corner.

8:17a The weekend is looking less scary than forecast, at least for our locale. Getting freezing rain/snow is possible, but now just a 5% possibility. Likely: wet & windy.

• Oriental NC Forecast
• Oriental Weather Station
• Weather Radar
• Neuse River Marine Forecast

12:27p This weekend’s potentially nasty weather has caused a change in plans for the Old Theater. From President Mary Taylor:

See a play on the stage or check out a few new yoga moves? This weekend, you can do both.

Tonight grab a burrito or quesadilla from Taco San Luis then walk inside to the Brewery for a stout (or non-alcoholic option for those doing Dry January).

Check out the usual suspects on Saturday: the Oriental Farmer’s Market from 8-11a on Hodges, La Cocina Del Coqui at the Brewery from 4-8p, or Mariposa (Saturday and Sunday) in the morning, 7-10a, evening 6-9p.

Try something new Saturday at 2p at Prasada Yoga. See the studio, meet the teachers, try a free Yoga class. It might make your 2026 more flexible.

Saturday night, head to The Old Theater at 7:30p to see a movie the old fashioned way: on a stage with live actors. The North Carolina History Theater presents 5 tales from short story master O. Henry in their adaptation of Friends, Lovers & All That Other Stuff.

There’s another chance to see the play Sunday at 3p. Tickets for either show can be purchased online or at the door.

It’s all in What’s Happening.

9:26a It’s been about a year since Oriental last experienced a snowfall: January 22, 2025 according to the TownDock.net archives.

Here’s the drone view of a wintery Oriental:

We might get a bit of the stuff again come Sunday, but it’s not expected to stick around.

Today is mostly sunny and breezy, with temps near 40 and northwest winds at 15-20 mph.

Tonight, temperatures are below freezing – down to the lower 20s. The wind chill values for tonight may drop as low as 14.

10:24a Craving tacos, burritos, or quesadillas for lunch? El Taco Loco is in town today.

The food truck visits Triton Yachts Boat Yard on Midyette St. at 11a. Going forward, El Taco Loco plans to visit Triton Yachts every Wednesday.

If you’re looking to hear – or play – live music this week, you have two options:

• Open Mic Night at The Silos tonight at 7p. Bring your voice, your instrument, or both. Music happens upstairs.

• Music Jams Third & Fifth Thursday at Pamlico Community College tomorrow night. Free and open to the public. Bring your instrument to play or pull up a chair and just listen. Jam starts at 6p in the PCC Delamar Auditorium.