The North Carolina Department of Transportation is expected to give an update Thursday morning on their plans to protect people from this weekend’s winter storm.

The NWS Newport/Morehead City NC issued a winter storm watch at 3:35 a.m. on Thursday valid from Friday 4 p.m. until Saturday 10 a.m. The watch is for Mainland Dare, Mainland Hyde, Northern Craven and Southern Craven as well as Martin,

A winter storm watch has been issued for much of North Carolina, including the Charlotte area, as the state prepares for snow later this week. The watch will go into effect in most counties on Friday morning and will last through Saturday morning.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation is preparing for any winter weather that comes into the state.