WINTER STORM: Snow, freezing rain impact the Carolinas

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A huge storm is spinning over the Carolinas and Mid-Atlantic Saturday.

The worst is over for the Charlotte area, but there are still poor travel conditions Saturday morning.

While Charlotte has already seen the worst, a major blizzard is happening in the Washington, D.C. area.

Some spots in Maryland already have 1 foot of snow.

5:30 a.m.: Snow showers will wind down by mid-morning Saturday. Clouds will stick around for most of the day with highs in the mid-30s.

There is still the threat for icy spots early Saturday morning as well as Saturday night.

PRESS PLAY: Meteorologist Keith Monday has your Saturday forecast

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Sunday will see more sun with highs in the mid-40s. The warmer temps should cause more of the snow and ice to melt.

Expect a warm up early next week with highs returning to the low 50s.

FRIDAY

10:05 p.m.: Charlotte Douglas International Airport remains open with limited flight operations overnight. Airlines serving CLT plan to restart operations around noon on Saturday. It will be limited operations for most of the day.

9:15 p.m.: Wintry mix is continuing to fall throughout the viewing area and roads are still considered icy and dangerous.

https://twitter.com/JennaWSOC9/status/690711893649027072

9:00 p.m.: According to Duke Energy's website 1,292 homes in Union County, near Wingate, are without power Friday night. Duke Energy's website said they are assessing the estimated restoration time. To report an outage in your area or view outage areas, visit Duke Energy's Outage Map.

7:45 p.m.: Mecklenburg County solid waste facilities will be closed Saturday because of the weather. They will be back on schedule Monday, officials said.

7 p.m.:  Power outages in North Carolina are estimated at 94,917, according to the North Carolina Department of Safey.

6 p.m.: NCDOT crews have used 30,000 tons of salt on roads Friday, statewide.

https://twitter.com/wsoctv/status/690664263942275072

The latest on the winter storm approaching the Carolinas:

• Social media updates: Winter storm takes aim at Charlotte area

4:58 p.m. The Charlotte Checkers game will be closed to the public, the team announced. The game will be played to empty stands.

4:19 p.m.:  "Wicked" scheduled for 8 p.m. today at Oven's Auditorium has been canceled due to weather.

3:35 p.m.: Meteorologist Christine Rapp explains why we are seeing more ice than snow.

• CLICK PLAY: Christine Rapp explains precipitation types

3:21 p.m.: American Airlines said it plans to resume operations around noon Saturday. It will be limited operations for most of the day, so customers will need to check the status of their flights.

• CLICK HERE to check our flight tracker

2:05 p.m.: Shows at the Avidxchange Music Factory have been canceled or postponed due to weather.

https://twitter.com/ncmusicfactory/status/690610987288911876

12:45 p.m.: Concord Mills will close at 1 p.m.

12:05 p.m.: CATS is not operating the City LYNX Gold Line due to weather conditions. CATS is not operating the CityLYNX Gold Line due to weather conditions.

A warming station is open today at 618 North College St. The warming station opened at 11 a.m. and will remain open until 6 p.m.  At 6 p.m. Mecklenburg County and American Red Cross will reevaluate shelter capacities and a decision will be made as to operations of the warming station.

https://twitter.com/BarryWSOC9/status/690576188239020033

Solid Waste Services will be suspending collections until Monday, Jan. 25. Thursday and Friday customers who did not have trash collected this week will be collected on Monday, Jan. 25. SWS will operate on a one-day delay the week of Jan. 25 - Jan. 29, with Friday customers receiving collection service on Saturday, Jan. 30. Go to charlottenc.gov for a full collection schedule for the week of Jan. 25 to Jan. 29.

CMPD responded to 56 accidents this morning, about half of normal volume.

11:39 a.m.: SouthPark Mall will be closing at noon. Events Friday night, like the Checkers game and the performance of Wicked will go on as scheduled.

11:27 a.m.: Troopers are investigating a deadly ice-related crash in Hickory, north of downtown. They think it happened overnight.

• READ MORE: NCHP responds to weather-related fatal crash in Hickory

https://twitter.com/FahertyWSOC9/status/690568531205709824

11:24 a.m.: MEDIC has responded to 110 calls since midnight.

11:13 a.m.: Winston Kelly with the NASCAR Hall of Fame said the Hall will close at 2 p.m. Friday and the induction ceremony will be moved to Saturday afternoon.

• VIEWER IMAGES: Children enjoying the snow

11:05 a.m.: The Highway Patrol has responded to more than 800 calls and have found 25-30 abandoned cars throughout the state.

https://twitter.com/AngelaWSOC9/status/690567319454617601

10:47 a.m.: Gov. McCrory thanked the people of North Carolina for listening and staying off the roadways. He did say, however, that two more people had died from the storm – one died early Friday morning in a major trucking crash on I-95 in Johnson County. Another person who was injured late Wednesday also passed away.

Ice around Charlotte will be a major problem going forward, McCrory said, especially if winds pick up.

https://twitter.com/govofficeNC/status/690562593342296066

The only areas of the state that have not been severely impacted are along the coast, near the Wilmington area.

The governor also said he would ask for federal help if and when the time comes.

Power crews had reported more than 18,500 outages across the state, about 700 of them in Mecklenburg County.

https://twitter.com/kenlemonWSOC9/status/690562995647311872

10:38 a.m.: Troopers have responded to more than 200 wrecks in Charlotte area this morning, including tractor-trailer that overturned on I-77 to I-485 northbound where 100 gallons of diesel fuel spilled.

There was a double fatal crash in Richmond County late Thursday night. Troopers said a woman who had been reported missing in Charlotte, Belva Maddox, was driving the wrong way on U.S. 74 when she collided head-on with another car. Both Maddox and the driver of the other car were killed.

https://twitter.com/wsoctv/status/690543907936034816

9:56 forecast update: More steady freezing rain and sleet is moving through the metro area and accumulating because temps are still below freezing.

This will likely persist through the afternoon, with mostly a freezing rain/sleet mix for Charlotte and snow being the primary threat for the Foothills, I-40 corridor and the mountains.

PRESS PLAY for video of snow conditions in Watauga County:

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A quarter to a half inch of ice can be expected south of Charlotte, around York, Lancaster, Chester and Union counties.

Better chance for additional snowfall will be late Friday night into the overnight hours.

https://twitter.com/AngelaWSOC9/status/690551041566216192

9:52 a.m.: State Transportation Department officials say all roads in North Carolina are open although lanes of some major highways in the western part of the state are closed because of the winter storm.

DOT officials said in a news release Friday that lanes are closed on Interstate 26 at mile marker 53 in Hendersonville; on I-26 East at mile marker 33 in Asheville; and on I-40 East at mile marker 64 in Black Mountain.

• VIEWER PHOTOS: Pets in the snow

As of Friday morning, officials said crews have placed nearly 2 million gallons of a salt-water mixture called brine on major highways and roads. That work began Tuesday and continued through Thursday.

DOT equipment is even in place on Hatteras and Ocracoke islands, where the storm could become a nor'easter.

Although roads are clear, DOT advises people to stay home.

9:41 a.m.: Freezing rain falling in Rock Hill.

https://twitter.com/GSuskinWSOC9/status/690546909052821504

9:22 a.m.: Light rail is stuck at 10th Street because of snow.

9:02 a.m.: Charlotte area postal officials provided the following update on mail service:

• Collections of mail from the familiar blue collection boxes are suspended today.
• Mail delivery is suspended for customers in ZIP Codes beginning with 280, 281, 282, 287, 288, 289 and 297.

https://twitter.com/WSOCWeather/status/690539319543599105

8:42 a.m.: SCDOT update: Current conditions include sleet in Cherokee County with the rest of the South Carolina area reporting rain. Temperatures range from 30 to 35 degrees.

Cherokee reports roads covered with snow and ice with the snow changing over to sleet. They report several accidents on I-85 but no backups at this time, as they continue to plow and apply brine.

Crews continue to apply salt brine to I-77 in Chester  and York counties.

8:39 a.m.: The Charlotte Checkers announced that Friday's game against the Chicago Wolves will be played as scheduled at 7 p.m. at Bojangles' Coliseum.

Ticket holders who are concerned about weather-related travel difficulties may exchange their tickets for one of three upcoming home games listed below by contacting a Checkers ticket representative at (704) 342-4423 or emailing tickets@gocheckers.com. Representatives will be available from 8:30 a.m. until game time.

- Saturday, Feb. 5 at 7 p.m.
- Sunday, Feb. 6 at 7 p.m.
- Sunday, April 10 at 12 p.m.

8:28 a.m.: The State Emergency Response Team has activated the Joint Information Center in Raleigh in response to the winter storm forecasted to impact most of the state today. The JIC will coordinate the release of information regarding state storm preparation and response.

8:15 a.m.: Duke Energy reporting 637 without power in Mecklenburg County.

8:03 a.m.: Snow has let up around Charlotte, but don't let the lull fool you -- precipitation will start back up later this morning but in the form of freezing rain.

At the moment, it is a mix of sleet and freezing rain for most areas. More snow is expected to be dumped on the mountains later this morning.

7:54 a.m.: Warming shelters have opened at the Fellowship Church in Boone and the Deep Gap Fire Department.

• PHOTOS: Snow begins to fall across the Carolinas

7:40 a.m.: The Carolina Panthers will adjust their practice schedule Friday based on the weather. The Arizona Cardinals still plan to leave for Charlotte around 1 p.m. Saturday for Sunday's NFC Championship game.

https://twitter.com/wsoctv/status/690533882484101124

7:34 a.m.: A bad crash has Interstate 85 northbound closed in Concord, near Highway 73.

7:31 a.m.: The major utility serving North Carolina reported nearly 2,300 customers were without electricity early Friday. Duke Energy said the biggest problem is in Gaston County, where more than 1,900 customers are without service.

Snow was falling from Boone and Asheville to Greensboro and Raleigh early Friday.

A winter storm warning was in effect until 7 a.m. Sunday for the mountains of western North Carolina. Up to 2 feet of snow was possible at higher elevations.

Up to 18 inches of snow was possible around Lenoir, Marion and Forest City by Saturday night.

Up to 12 inches of snow was possible around Salisbury, Shelby and Gastonia.

7:21 a.m.: Mecklenburg County Manager Dena Diorio said they made the decision to close the county offices due to the heavy snow and ptential for icy roads. She urged motorists to be safe and if you do not need to be on the road, stay home.
Homeless Services are working on opening a warming shelter later this morning on College Street.

• DOWNLOAD our free weather app

7:16 a.m.: Duke Energy reporting 110 outages in the Matthews area.

7 a.m.: MEDIC has responded to six traffic accidents this morning. Half of those wrecks occurred after 4 a.m. They have also responded to some calls for falls and cold exposure.

6:51 a.m.: Much of northern South Carolina is under a winter weather advisory as what forecasters call a "potentially crippling winter storm" begins to pass through.

A winter storm warning was in effect until 7 p.m. Saturday across the state's northern counties, with some areas predicted to receive up to six inches of snow. Many schools in the area were closed Friday, including Clemson University's main campus.

Just south, another string of counties was under a freezing rain advisory through 1 p.m. Friday, with up to one inch of accumulation possible.

6:13 a.m.: County-by-county road conditions:

• Burke - Roads covered in snow
• Cabarrus - Snow with slick roads and no accidents
• Caldwell - Snow with slick roads
• Catawba - Snow-covered roads, some property damage accidents
• Cleveland - Snow-covered roads, some property damage accidents
• Chester - On-and-off rain, no issues
• Gaston - Roads are bad, snow-covered, some property damage accidents
• Iredell - Snow-covered roads, no accidents
• Lincoln - Roads snowy and slippery
• Rowan - Snowy and slippery roads
• Stanly - Snow on roads, no accidents
• Union - Snow-covered roads with multiple property damage accidents
• York - Just rain, no issues

PRESS PLAY to watch Vicki Graf explain the dangers surrounding this winter storm:

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6:02 a.m.: Travel conditions deteriorating from Charlotte into the High Country. Emergency crews responding to numerous crashes across the area.

• LIVE UPDATES: Morning commute from Traffic Team 9

5:52 a.m.: Duke Energy reporting 1,900 outages between Belmont and Gastonia.

5:48: All Mooresville town offices will be closed Friday.

5:45 a.m.: The American Red Cross told Channel 9 two shelters are opening at 8 a.m. in Watauga Coounty -- in Boone and Deep Gap.

https://twitter.com/TinaTerryWSOC9/status/690484296109322240

5:22 a.m.: Charlotte Douglas will be open Friday with limited airfield operations. All taxiways and three parallel runways are open. Runway 5/23 is closed for de-icing operations.

All scheduled operations have been canceled for American Airlines, Regionals, Delta, United, Southwest, Lufthansa, Air Canada, ViaAir and JetBlue. If you are a ticketed customer on another airline, please contact that airline before leaving for the airport.

Passengers are encouraged to remain at home if their flight has been canceled.

All checkpoints are open.

5:17 a.m.: All City of Charlotte offices will be closed today.

• Click here for complete list of closures and delays.

5:15 a.m.: CATS says due to worsening conditions, express and regional express bus routes will not run Friday except airport routes 590 and 591. Local service only.

4:53 a.m.: All Mecklenburg County government offices and agencies will be closed Friday.

• CLICK HERE to view the latest alerts where you are

4:31 a.m.: Heavy snow beginning to fall in uptown.

https://twitter.com/AngelaWSOC9/status/690471347751931904

4 a.m. forecast update: The winter storm moved into the Carolinas overnight, and we will be stuck with a wintry mix throughout the day Friday.

Expect to see freezing rain, sleet and snow, making way for dangerous travel conditions throughout the day. People are encouraged to stay off the roads if possible. Winds are expected to be stronger Friday which could cause any ice-covered trees and power lines to be knocked down, leading to numerous power outages.

https://twitter.com/VickiGrafWSOC9/status/690456478398939136

North of Charlotte is where we will see the heaviest snowfall totals, with some ice mixed in. The further south of Charlotte is where we have the biggest concern for ice.

This storm will start to wind down later Friday night and snow is expected to continue through early Saturday morning.

https://twitter.com/kmondayWSOC9/status/690445822144675840

Clouds will stick around Saturday and temperatures will be cooler, with highs in the mid-30s. There will still be the threat for icy spots until early Sunday, so be careful if you have travel plans before lunch time on Sunday.

Sunday afternoon will be nice, with sunny skies and highs in the mid-40s. The weather is looking good for the Panthers game but it will be cooler.

• DOWNLOAD our free weather app

PRESS PLAY for Keith Monday's winter storm forecast:

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Thursday's big hits:

• North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory declared a state of emergency ahead of the winter storm heading to the area. He said the Charlotte area may see several inches of snow but a major concern will be the ice. "Our plan is to be over-prepared, but hopefully underwhelmed," McCrory said.

• The Panthers rally to be held Friday in Romare Bearden park was canceled due to weather.

• In addition to American Airlines, several other major airlines have canceled all flights in and out of Charlotte Friday. Click here for the full list. 

• Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools has canceled classes for Friday due to winter weather. The makeup day is Monday. See a full list here.

• Nearly 100 North Carolina National Guard soldiers have been called in for duty ahead of the storm. The soldiers are being deployed throughout North Carolina in areas expected to see the biggest imapct from the storm.

TIMELINE: This is how the weather event will unfold, according to to Channel 9 meteorologists:

• Rain Thursday night: Temperatures warmed enough to support rain at the outset of this event on Thursday night. During the early hours of Friday morning, more cold air will wedge in and threaten to turn the precipitation to freezing rain.
• Rain mixes with freezing rain early Friday: Cold air will wedge in from the north and change the rain to freezing rain. This will have to potential to accumulate during the afternoon, especially in Lake Norman and north.
• Rain and freezing rain changes to snow Friday night into Saturday: This snow will likely accumulate as close as uptown, with significant accumulations in the north metro area on up into the mountains. Areas to the south, meanwhile, will not see as much, perhaps a dusting.

COLD WEATHER RESOURCES:

• Action 9: Prevent pipes from freezing during cold snap
• Winter Weather Tip Sheet
• Officials warn residents of cold temps, offer safety tips
• Power Outages: Prepare, survive and recover
• Pets need extra care as temperatures drop

IMPACT:

• Mountains: By far the greatest impact area. Snow, rain, freezing rain and even sleet will fall there from Thursday afternoon onward. Accumulations will be higher than a foot by Saturday morning.
• Foothills: A major ice event. Freezing rain will fall through most of Friday. When it changes over to snow we'll have very heavy accumulations. At this point, it could be more than 6 inches.
• Charlotte: Greatest accumulation for ice will be uptown through Lake Norman. When it changes over to snow, there could be snow accumulations of 1 to 3 inches.
• Metro south: Not as high of an impact there, although with the models trending south, freezing rain will be possible. When it changes over to snow there could be accumulations at a dusting to 1 inch.

Weather resources:

• Download our free weather app
• Explore our interactive radar

The City of Charlotte is taking the following steps to prepare for the storm:

• RELATED: NCDOT preparing as pair of winter storms approach state

Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS)

• Charlotte Area Transit System will run a regular schedule for CATS buses, LYNX trains and CityLYNX streetcars.
• Should conditions worsen, customers should go to the "Inclement Weather" page for the most up-to-date information. CATS will post regular updates regarding routes and its detours due to inclement weather.

Charlotte Department of Transportation (CDOT)

• The Charlotte Department of Transportation started treating area bridges, culverts and selected streets with salt brine Wednesday.
• Report icy conditions to CharMeck 311 or street maintenance at 704-336-3200. Dial 911 for emergencies or accidents.
• Motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians are advised to be cautious when near trucks treating roads and to leave extra space between them and other vehicles.
• ​Clear it: Scrape windows and brush off snow, even from the roof.
• Brake carefully: Slow down and brake early. It takes much longer to stop on ice and snow.
• Avoid sudden actions: Sudden actions like jerking the steering wheel or slamming on the breaks can cause you to spin out and crash.
• Pack a sack: Your safety kit should include warm gloves, flashlights, blankets, shovel, snow brush, window scraper and a bag of sand (traction aid in case you get stuck).

CMPD Animal Care & Control:

• Take precautions to keep your pets warm, dry and safe.
• If you are unable to bring outdoor animals inside into your heated living space but have a garage or basement, place proper bedding or straw in those areas as temperatures can drop below freezing in unheated areas.
• CMPD Animal Care & Control has received a donation of straw to help pet owners who need assistance obtaining proper bedding and shelter for their pets. It can be obtained at the CMPD Animal Care & Control Shelter. Limit two bales of straw per owner.

CMPD Animal Care & Control – 8315 Byrum Drive Charlotte, NC 28273
Monday through Friday: 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Solid Waste Services

• City Solid Waste Services is preparing for inclement weather by making alternate collection plans. These plans will be based on current weather conditions and will be communicated with the community. Should service schedules be altered, place carts at the curb per the collection schedule and leave them there until they have been collected. Collection services include garbage, recyclables, yard waste and bulky waste.
• For more information, click here or call CharMeck 311 or 704-336-7600.

WSOC