FORECAST: Freezing temperatures on the way

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Thursday night: The first batch of cold air arrived as winds died down. Temperatures will dip close to freezing, and another moisture-starved front is on the way.  

Winds will once again kick up although this time, there won't be rain, but there will be some mountain flurries.

Friday: Freeze watches are in effect for Friday night and early Saturday. Most of the area will reach down into the mid-20s.

Power being restored, clean up begins after storms roll through 

Wednesday night’s powerful storms have moved out of the area, but the wind has stuck around. A Wind Advisory remains in place for the mountains until midday as gusts up there could reach 40-50 mph.

The wind will help usher in much colder air, as highs on Thursday will barely reach the lower 60s. Bright sunshine sticks around into the weekend, but so does the chill. There will be a concern for a good freeze by Saturday morning.

[OUTLOOK: March looking warmer, wetter than average]

The National Weather Service issued a series of watches and warnings for North Carolina and South Carolina as severe weather barreled through the two states Wednesday night.

[READ MORE: Wednesday night's minute-by-minute updates as the storms hit the region]

Damaging winds, heavy rain and lighting were the main threats and the storm caused widespread damage, including downed trees and fires that may have been caused by lightning strikes.

The storm was also responsible for serious damage at a Cherryville church that has stood for nearly 150 years, as part of the roof of Saint John's Lutheran was blown off and siding scattered across the lawn.

On Brown-Grier Road in Charlotte, winds knocked over a barn, killing a cow inside.

Heavy rain and strong winds also caused massive power outages across the area. Channel 9 was there overnight as police blocked the intersection of Providence and Fairview roads in south Charlotte because the traffic light at the intersection was not working.

[PHOTOS: Storms with high winds, hail and heavy winds move through area]

Thousands of people across the state were still dealing with those outages early Thursday morning. At the height of the storm, Duke Energy was reporting more than 7,000 outages in the area. That number has since dropped to about 500 in Mecklenburg County.

[CLICK HERE to view current outages in the Carolinas]

In York County, there were more than 650 people still without power as of 5 a.m.

The strong winds caused a large tree to fall across Highway 557 in York County, which led to a crash. The entire area near Bethel Church Road was dark because the power was out.

Two cars drove right into the fallen tree at roughly 40 mph before they could stop.

Channel 9 spoke to one of the drivers, who said every air bag in his car deployed.

"We didn't even see the tree,” Vernon Stephens said. “It was already down in the road and everything. He hit it, and then I come along behind him and hit it too."

Neither driver was hurt but crews on scene said that both cars are likely totaled.

[DOWNLOAD: WSOC-TV Weather App]

In Conover, clean-up crews had to use large machinery to remove a huge tree that fell across Second Avenue NE, taking power lines down with it.

No one was hurt but about a dozen homes lost power for several hours.

[KEEPING YOU SAFE: Changes to Severe Weather Watches and Warnings]

The winds not only knocked out power, but also uprooted massive trees across the area. A huge tree fell across Queens Road West, near Westfield in Myers Park, blocking the street.

Crews were also working on repairing a water main break in Myers Park, caused by the storm. It was discovered early Thursday morning on Queens Road West while crews were working on clearing downed trees from the roadway.

Officials told Channel 9 that the water main break is putting another tree at risk of falling over and were hoping to get it fixed soon.

A neighbor told Channel 9 that he has seen it before, especially when the water main break is directly below a tree.

Crews have dug a hole to repair the line, and at least 10 customers may be without water throughout the day, while many others may have change in their water pressure.

For a neighborhood like Myers Park that is known for having big beautiful trees, the homeowners’ association said that water can be trouble if it's not dealt with immediately.

“We know there is water under some of the trees,” said Jack McNeary. “The one we just walked over has water.”

(Drone video courtesy of Scott Noles)

The Myers Park area saw a lot of damage. Less than a mile away, the storm toppled another massive tree off Normandy Road, close to Selwyn Avenue.

That tree landed directly between two houses, taking off chunks of both homes. The homeowner told Channel 9 that neighbors rushed to help and that nobody was hurt.

Just down the street from that, another tree fell on a home off Queens Road as well.

Crews worked for three hours to chop up the trees Thursday morning and haul most of the branches away.

Lightning strikes were also suspected as the cause of several fires, including one on Meachem Street in South End. Nobody was hurt in any of those fires.

Weather Resources:

• Track the rain with WSOC-TV weather app
• Explore the interactive radar
• LOOKING AHEAD: Spring outlook staying warmer, wetter than average

Cox Media Group