State employees once again are leading the effort to prepare for a massive winter storm heading our way.

Forecasts earlier this week called for more than a foot of snow across North Carolina. Those estimates shifted on Thursday to an even more dangerous outlook: an inch or more of ice in some parts of the area, bringing power outages, unpassable roads, extreme cold, and downed trees.

Department of Transportation crews have spread more than 800,000 gallons of brine on the roads and continue to work around the clock in preparation. DPS Emergency Management continues to keep the public informed and has activated the State Emergency Response Team. Governor Josh Stein declared a State of Emergency on Wednesday.

Please stay off the roads if you can. Do not put yourself, your family, or state employees at work in danger. Prepare now for power outages by securing a heat source that does not require electricity, charging cell phones and power banks, and gassing up your car in case of emergency.

Visit ReadyNC.gov for more information on winter weather safety and preparation. For real-time travel information, visit DriveNC.gov or follow NCDOT on social media.

On this week's episode of The SEANC View Podcast, we discussed the coming winter storm and the preparations that state employees are making to keep the state moving.