As Triangle residents tried to dig out from Wednesday’s double-digit snowfall, police were urging motorists to stay put early Thursday.

As a precaution, schools will remain closed in Durham Friday, the Durham Public Schools announced in an online alert. Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools followed shortly with the same announcement. Orange County Schools have not yet announed their plans.

Duke University extended its severe weather plan through 10 a.m. Friday. No classes until 10 a.m, after which time the university will resume its normal operations.

A traffic accident on Interstate 85 near Hillsborough drove home the point. All lanes of I-85 North were closed between Hillsborough and Durham, just after Exit 165 due to a crash, the N.C. Department of Transportation reported. The road was expected to reopen 1 p.m., the department stated.

Many residents of Durham and Orange counties continued to cope with power outages. About 400 customers in Orange County, and about 1,400 in Durham were still without electricity Thursday morning, said Meredith Archie, spokeswoman for Duke Energy. Duke Energy expects to restore power by the end of the day, Archie said. The company was getting reports of some power lines down because of the heavy, wet snow. “We have seen a lot of that, especially in Durham and Orange counties, where the accumulation was highest,” she said.

Gov. Roy Cooper warned that Thursday’s thawing could lead to hazardous roads overnight when temperatures fall into the teens again.

“We will feel this extraordinary storm’s impact for days,” Cooper said. “I’ve said it before, but I can’t say it enough: the snow is beautiful, but driving in it can be treacherous. Don’t drive unless you absolutely must.”

The National Weather Service forecast a low of 17 for Thursday overnight, and in a Tweet, Chapel Hill police warned drivers to look out for black ice Friday morning. Temperatures will begin warming up Friday, with highs forecast at 49 Friday, 55 for Saturday, and 59 for Sunday, according to the Weather Service.

Most city of Durham offices, including City Hall and all non-emergency operations, are closed Thursday, according to a Facebook post. Recycling and trash collections will resume Friday, Jan. 19, road conditions permitting.

Durham County government also closed most office for Thursday, and canceled recycling pickup for the day.

With Durham City Hall closed on Thursday, the Durham City Council work session was canceled and rescheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 23.

Chapel Hill town government announced that public-facing town facilities were closed Thursday. The town is focusing its efforts on storm cleanup.

“It seems like the world is moving in slow motion when you're snowed in,” said Chapel Hill emergency management coordinator Barry McLamb. “We want to thank you for your patience while we clean up from a near-record-setting snowfall. Slightly warmer temperatures and the sun will do a lot to help us in this effort.”

Chapel Hill public works crews are putting their efforts in clearing town-maintained primary streets, bridges and overpasses. They using nine snowplows to tackle those area as well as trouble spots like hills.

The NC DOT is focusing on the five high-traffic state-maintained roads through Chapel Hill: Franklin Street, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard/Columbia Street, Fordham Boulevard, Manning Drive, and South Road/NC Highway 54.

GoTriangle has cancelled its Durham-Orange light-rail transit design workshop scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday at the Chapel Hill Public Library.

A Tweet from the Chapel Hill Police Department stated that few cars were on the roads overnight, and that no crashes were reported. There were some cars that slid off the roads, and officers responded, the Tweet stated. The town Tweeted that trash collection was canceled Thursday as crews work to clean up the roads.

Hillsborough officials reported that public works crews had plowed all town-maintained streets, but streets remain covered with snow and ice. Town offices were expected to open at 1 p.m., but openings may be affected by employees’ ability to get to work.

A Hillsborough Planning Board meeting previously scheduled for 7 p.m. on Thursday has been cancelled.

The Durham County Sheriff’s Office responded to 28 vehicle accidents and helped about 40 stranded drivers 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Wednesday, according to Tamara Gibbs, public information officer. The Sheriff's Office responded to at least two accidents Thursday morning, Gibbs said. The department also conducted welfare checks on the elderly, sick or shut-in.