CHARLOTTE — A band of snow is expected to move into the Carolinas this morning, starting in the mountains between 5-6 a.m. and reaching the metro area around 9 a.m.
The snowfall is anticipated to be moderate to heavy, with temperatures below freezing across the region, leading to potentially slick travel conditions. The snow is expected to taper off by later Thursday morning, with total accumulations ranging from half an inch to 1 inch.
Residents were advised to prepare for hazardous driving conditions during the morning commute as the snow moves through the area.
The Charlotte Department of Transportation told Channel 9′s Eli Brand that they put down around 20,000 gallons of brine across the city earlier this week.
The roads addressed first were major highways and interstates, and the roads needed to get to important buildings like hospitals.
Even with those preparations, the advice from the city is to stay off of roads if you can.
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein declared a state of emergency Tuesday for the winter weather headed to the Tar Heel State.
Gov. Stein said keeping the power on and preventing ice are the state’s biggest priorities.
“Brining the roads, positioning resources, clearing abandoned cars from the shoulders of our highways, and working closely with local governments across the state to coordinate assistance quickly,” Stein said.
The storm was expected to bring dangerous conditions as temperatures fluctuate, causing water to refreeze on roads. State agencies mobilized resources to prepare for the impact.
“Emergency management crews and department of transportation crews, the highway patrol, and our national guard are preparing for the winter weather, brining the roads, positioning resources, clearing abandoned cars from the shoulders of our highways,” Stein said.
Residents are advised to keep their devices charged and have backup batteries ready in case of power outages.
Areas in north Charlotte were expected to see heavier snowflakes overnight, and one of the areas expected to be impacted is Huntersville.
Channel 9′s Almiya White spoke with residents who said they were bracing themselves for round two of winter weather.
“I think the amount of snow we’ve had this year versus other years, yes, it’s a little surprising, but I think it’s great,” resident John Carr said.
“We’re having fun, and it looks pretty, so it’s a good time,” resident Jackson Michael echoed.
Residents also said they were happy with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ decision to implement a two-hour delay on Thursday.
Snow was expected to reach our area in the early morning hours.
Timeline
A second wave of snow was developing Thursday morning, bringing the potential for slick conditions during the morning commute.
Good morning! We're tracking a second wave of snow developing this morning. It's much colder today, so this time snow could stick and cause slick conditions through the morning commute. Some spots could pick up a quick inch! pic.twitter.com/CfTzPLU7Xg
— Danielle Miller (@wx_danielle) February 20, 2025
With temperatures dropping, the snow was more likely to stick, potentially causing hazardous travel conditions. Some areas expected to see up to an inch of snow quickly, exacerbating the situation for commuters.
VIDEO: Latest forecast update
NCDOT on the ready
The North Carolina Department of Transportation preemptively applied brine to roads in Charlotte and Huntersville as Wednesday’s winter storm approached.
Crews started treating primary roads with a brine solution, a mixture of water, and 23% salt, to prevent ice formation. The preparation is part of NCDOT’s strategy to mitigate the impact of icy conditions on traffic.
Jason Briggs from Bland Landscaping told Channel 9 he has been applying ice melt in parking lots to ensure safety.
“Just getting ready for the snow—make sure everyone is safe so they won’t slip and fall,” Briggs explained.
“We’ve already started putting down, as you can see, the brine solution on a lot of our primary roads,” explained Jen Goodwin, a representative from NCDOT. “On a tiered system of what roads we treat based on things like traffic volume, connectivity to major areas and major work centers, and hospitals.”
Once the wintry mix began, NCDOT said they would be working 12-hour shifts to respond to any issues.
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Jeff Brooks from Duke Energy highlighted the risk of power outages, noting, “When we start to see that accumulation of ice, it only takes about a quarter of an inch of ice before tree limbs start coming down on the power lines, breaking poles and creating outages.”
Duke Energy has been preparing year-round for such events by reducing vegetation-related outages and improving the grid with self-healing technology that can automatically detect power outages.
Winter Weather Advisory
On Tuesday, a Winter Weather Advisory was issued for several North Carolina counties including: Alexander, Avery, Iredell, Catawba, Rowan, Cleveland, Lincoln, Gaston, Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Union, Greater Caldwell, Greater Burke, Eastern McDowell, Greater Rutherford, and Eastern Polk.
The advisory began at 6 a.m. on Wednesday and was scheduled to last through noon Thursday.
In the mountains, Watauga, Ashe, and Alleghany counties will be under a Winter Weather Advisory from through 1 p.m. Thursday.
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