CHARLOTTE — Gov. Josh Stein has declared a state of emergency Tuesday as a winter storm approaches posing a significant threat due to ice accumulation.
“We’ve had a tough winter season in North Carolina, and it is not over yet,” Stein said.
The storm is expected to bring dangerous conditions as temperatures fluctuate, causing water to refreeze on roads. State agencies are mobilizing 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.
The preparations aim to mitigate the storm’s impact and ensure safety on the roads as the state braces for the winter weather.
Timeline
VIDEO: Latest forecast update
A wintry mix is expected to hit the Charlotte area on Wednesday, with greater impacts anticipated just north of the city.
Rain, snow, and slush are predicted to begin by lunchtime and will likely slow down by dinner time. Charlotte might see up to 1 inch of snow, while higher totals are expected north of the city.
Residents in Charlotte should prepare for a minor accumulation of snow, while those north of the city may experience more significant snowfall.
NEW: Winter Weather Advisory for a large portion of our NC counties for Wednesday's snow. Accumulations won't be major, but even a light accumulation can lead to slick travel. Worst travel conditions during the day will be far north and then everywhere by the evening. pic.twitter.com/UxmxKHrFLi
— Keith Monday (@kmondayWSOC9) February 18, 2025
Charlotteans prepared for whatever comes our way
For the third time this year, the Charlotte Department of Transportation is getting ready for a winter storm. Whether it snows or just teases in Charlotte remains to be seen.
People are ready either way, Channel 9′s Joe Bruno reports.
From the parking lots to the streets, final preps are underway for the third winter storm of the season.
Jason Briggs of Bland Landscaping says he and his team are prepared for it all.
“The map is all over the place but we’ll see how it goes once we get out there,” said Jason Briggs, with Bland Landscaping.
They spent Tuesday afternoon putting down ice melt but he doesn’t have a preference on whether it snows, sleets, or rains.
At the Walmart nearby, shoppers were grabbing essentials
“I hope they really stocked up on toilet paper and peanut butter and all the weird stuff people like to buy,” said resident Tyler Redden Jr.
Redden wants to build a snowman and he’s hoping the mild temps change to frigid air on Wednesday.
“I’m going to have to take this sweater off because that’s how hot it is,” Redden said. “That’s how I know the snow is going to come.”
Residents are ready for whatever comes our way.
“It might snow but it ain’t gonna snow like they always say,” said resident Patrick Johnson.
“I’m good either way, said Briggs. “Just as long as no one gets hurt and everything goes smooth, we are good to go.”
“Never can really tell with “Cackalacky” weather but hey, I think it is going to come down,” Redden said.
NCDOT on the ready
The North Carolina Department of Transportation is preemptively applying brine to roads in Charlotte and Huntersville as a winter storm approaches, expected to bring a mix of rain, snow, and freezing rain on Wednesday.
Crews have already 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.
NCDOT said it has already sprayed close to 20,000 gallons of brine on the roads in anticipation of the wintry mix.
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 starts, NCDOT workers will work 12-hour shifts to respond to any issues. Officials are also advising residents to stay off the roads if possible to avoid black ice.
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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 will begin at 6 a.m. on Wednedsay and last through noon Thursday.
In the mountains, Watauga, Ashe, and Alleghany counties will be under a Winter Weather Advisory from 1 a.m. Wednesday to 1 p.m. Thursday.
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