Keith Monday's Thursday 7:30 A.M. update -- Thursday will be one of the coldest days the Charlotte region has seen in nearly 20 years.
High temperatures will only reach the lower 20s by the afternoon under full sun. By nightfall, we will make a run at one of the oldest records on the books. The current record low is 13 degrees set way back in 1896 -- we are forecasting 5 degrees as of now.
Heading into the weekend, the next weather-maker will tap into some of these cold temps. A brief window of wintry mix is still possible before noon on Saturday, before changing to all rain.
The system is not looking as threatening as it did a few days ago and the moisture will stay mainly north and west of the metro.
Temps will be much warmer by Sunday, with highs in the 50s with rain.
Cold temperatures and brutal winds arrived to the the region Wednesday afternoon.
Temperatures will be in the low-to-mid 20s Thursday, and mid-to-upper 20s Friday. Wind chill values will struggle to climb above 10 degrees Thursday.
WEDNESDAY 3:10 P.M. --
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools will operate on a 2-hour delay Thursday.
Snow showers will be very short-lived and out of the Charlotte area by 5 p.m. The story after that will be the wind and cold.
Temperatures will be in the low- to mid-20s Thursday night, mid- to upper-20s Friday despite a good amount of sunshine.
Wind chill values will struggle to climb above 10 degrees. The coldest temperature will be Friday morning before things warm back up for the weekend.
WEDNESDAY 2 P.M. --
A fast-moving band of snow is moving through the area. It is expected to move through area quickly and be gone by 3:30 p.m.
WATCH: Steve Udelson's 2 p.m. update
WEDNESDAY 12:45 P.M.
-- Snow was falling hard in the mountains around 11 a.m., covering roads in less than 20 minutes.
Snowfall rates were in the neighborhood of an inch an hour. Wind gusts will likely increase to 40 mph later tonight in higher elevations, like Beech Mountain.
Temperatures were hovering around 15 degrees but those temps could drop into the negatives in the next 24 hours.
WEDNESDAY 11:22 A.M.
-- Charlotte-Mecklenburg Emergency Management is planning to reopen an overnight Red Cross emergency shelter, but it has not yet been decided where.
The warming center at 618 North College Street will open at 10 a.m. Thursday.
WEDNESDAY 11:10 A.M.
-- Snow showers have begun in the N.C. Mountains -- 1-3 inches expected up there.
OUTAGE UPDATE 8:53 A.M. -- Duke Energy reports fewer than 10,000 without service in NC
Duke Energy is making progress in restoring electricity to its customers across North Carolina.
The Charlotte-based utility reported it had nearly 9,500 customers without service early Wednesday morning. The biggest problems continued to be in Robeson and Sampson counties.
The weather forecast is not promising for most of the state.
Up to 5 inches of snow could fall in the northern mountains around Boone on Wednesday. Up to 3 inches of snow was possible near the Tennessee state line and up to 1 inch could fall around Asheville.
Wind chills as low as 30 below zero are possible in the mountains.
Black ice is causing problems in much of the central and eastern part of the state.
A number of schools were closed Wednesday because of the conditions.
Weather update 7:35 A.M.
-- The Charlotte region is preparing for another blast of very cold air.
The leading edge of the arctic blast will draw in snow showers Wednesday afternoon but most of the accumulating snow will be just in the mountains (a few spots in the foothills and the Interstate 40 corridor could see a minor accumulation of an inch or less).
In the metro, we might see heavy snow briefly, but it won’t last for very long as just a dusting is expected.
Temps will warm above freezing by midday and then when the winds pick up Wednesday evening, the big cold arrives.
Near-record temperatures in the lower teens will arrive Wednesday night with wind chills below zero in Charlotte. It will be even colder by Friday morning, with a record low of five degrees.
The storm for Saturday is still on track to start out with some light snow by mid-morning, changing to sleet and freezing rain mix, then all rain by late Saturday afternoon. This doesn’t look as severe as the storm earlier this week, but will be icy for the first half of Saturday.
It does look warm enough now that we won’t have big problems around Charlotte early Sunday.
LINK: Complete list of school and business closings and delays
Charlotte and Mecklenburg County 6:30 A.M. update:
All city and county offices will operate on a normal schedule today. The county library will open on a 2-hour delay.
CMS is closed for students but staff should report by 10 a.m.
All buses and Lynx light rail lines are operating on a normal schedule.
CMPD responded to several accidents overnight that were directly related to black ice on the roads.
Solid Waste Services will have a delayed opening this morning. Tuesday's collection route will be done first and yard waste collection service has been suspended.
Charlotte Douglas International will return to normal operations this morning.
100 people spent the night in the shelter at Piedmont Middle School overnight.
VOLUME 2: Viewer-submitted ice storm photos
WEDNESDAY 6:20 A.M --
Airport officials say runways and taxiways are clear and in good shape,a s well as roadways and parking lots. Deicing is expected to begin around 6 a.m. if requested on runway 5/23.
Officials said 60 planes were deiced Tuesday, after 135 were deiced Monday.
Weather update 6:03 A.M.
-- Temperatures Wednesday might climb above the freezing mark, but only briefly -- and those temps won’t rise above 32 degrees again for about two more days.
The highs Wednesday could top out around 33 degrees by midday as clouds stick around, and brief snow flurries could fall later in the afternoon.
A quick burst of snow should be expected in the N.C. Mountains around lunchtime and some flurries could fall around Charlotte just before the evening drive home. That snowfall would only be a dusting though and the only accumulations would be seen in the mountains.
WEDNESDAY 5:55 A.M. -- Watching for freezing fog this morning. Shelby and Rockingham have some of the lowest visibility.
WEDNESDAY 5:46 A.M. -- Not much sunshine to be expected around Charlotte today, and officials warn drivers who need to head out onto the roadways to be cautious and aware of ice that may have refroze overnight.
IMAGES: Icy road conditions across the region
TUESDAY 11 P.M. -- The Charlotte Douglas International Airport remains open and is operating at 70 percent of its normal flight load.
TUESDAY NIGHT Weather Video Update -- More Arctic cold on its way
CLOSINGS UPDATE: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools canceled classes Wednesday. The make-up day for CMS students will be March 13.
LINK: Complete list of school and business closings and delays
WEATHER UPDATE: Roads that did not dry off completely will refreeze Tuesday night with temperatures around 20 degrees.
There will be another blast of cold air pushing in Wednesday, with some possible flurries and snow showers north of Charlotte.
But the big story is the record-breaking chill for Thursday and Friday.
As warmer air tries to push back in over the weekend, another storm will push in with the potential for another wintry mix Saturday.
A few flurries are expected for midafternoon Wednesday, then windy and colder later in the week. Highs for Thursday will be in the low 20s and lows in the single digits Friday
A weekend storm could bring a wintry mix Saturday and rain Sunday.
TUESDAY 3 P.M. -- Roads that did not dry off completely will refreeze Tuesday night, chief meteorologist Steve Udelson said.
Temperatures will drop to around 20 degrees. Another blast of cold air pushes in Wednesday and there may be some flurries in the metro area.
The next worry is a record-breaking chill for Thursday and Friday. As warmer air tries to push in over the weekend, another storm will push in. There may be more wintry mix Saturday.
Social media updates: Winter storm heads for Charlotte
TUESDAY 1:09 P.M. -- Duke Energy has more than 4,800 personnel focused on outage restoration across the Carolinas. Duke expects to have storm-related outages restored by 11 p.m. on Wednesday but most customers will be restored sooner.
TUESDAY 1:01 P.M. -- Downed power lines reported in Chesterfield, South Carolina. Some neighborhoods hit hard in Cheraw also. Thousands without power in Chesterfield County.
TUESDAY 12:12 P.M. -- Charlotte Douglas is now operating at 64 percent of its normal flight load. All three parallel runways are open. Runway 5/23 remains closed for deicing operations. So far today, 40 planes have been deiced. TSA wait times range between 10-15 minutes. As of 10:49 a.m., 3,739 passengers had processed through the security checkpoints.
TUESDAY 11:55 A.M. -- Duke Energy says since the storm started they have restored more than 101,000 customers in both North Carolina and South Carolina.
TUESDAY 11:52 A.M. -- Snow plows out on I-485 clearing ice, snow mix from roadway.
TUESDAY 11:44 A.M. -- Charlotte Motor Speedway is sending three of its jet dryers to Concord Regional Airport to help dry off the runways so that local race teams can travel to Daytona.
Read more about the jet dryers here.
TUESDAY 11:06 A.M. -- Update from meteorologist Keith Monday: Sunshine is working its way into the region, helping to melt away the ice that accumulated overnight. Temperatures are still expected to warm above freezing by the afternoon. Expecting the ice that thawed to refreeze on secondary roads Tuesday night, so be careful if you have to drive.
TUESDAY 10:32 A.M. -- All Cabarrus County government offices are closed Tuesday.
TUESDAY 10:15 A.M. -- Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department responded to 190 vehicle accidents during the storm Monday night. They also responded to more than 70 stranded motorist calls.
Mecklenburg County government offices will be closed Tuesday. Charlotte city offices will open at noon.
City manager Ron Carlee continues to urge residents to stay off the roads if possible. About 1,000 Charlotte city employees worked overnight to help through the storm.
Carlee said his biggest concern was people will have a false sense of security. Roads are still dangerous.
"We want everyone to stay safe in this incident," Carlee said. "Bad weather will continue this week. It's winter."
Trash and recycling collection in Charlotte has been canceled for the day. Carlee said they will try to pick up this week and all trash should be collected by the end of the day Friday.
Pedestrians who venture out should stay out of the roads because it is extremely dangerous, Carlee said.
VOLUME 2: Viewer-submitted ice storm photos
TUESDAY 9:15 A.M. -- Charlotte-Mecklenburg Emergency Management and Mecklenburg County Community Support Services will reopen the warming station Tuesday at 10 a.m.
The warming station will be located at the Mecklenburg County Homeless Resource Center at 618 North College Street at the Hal Marshall Annex. Beginning at 5:30 p.m., those needing to seek shelter through the night will be provided transportation to one of the accommodations provided by our local partners listed below:
Salvation Army Women's Shelter (for women and children only)
-534 Spratt Street, Charlotte
Men's Shelter of Charlotte
-1210 N Tryon St, Charlotte
Urban Ministry/Room At The Inn (registration is required today from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. for tonight)
-945 North College Street, Charlotte
Piedmont IB Middle School (American Red Cross Shelter)
-1241 E. 10th Street, Charlotte
TUESDAY 9:07 A.M. -- Update from Meteorologist Keith Monday: Temperatures will struggle to reach near freezing by midday. If the metro area gets some sun by the afternoon, temps will reach into the upper 30s.
Roadways around the region are expected to refreeze later Tuesday night, especially secondary roads in neighborhoods.
Conditions will be slow to improve again Wednesday morning, with highs only in the mid-30s.
We're looking ahead to a major arctic plunge arriving Wednesday night which will drop temps to around 10 degrees Thursday morning. Temperatures Thursday afternoon will not even get out of the low 20s (That would be the coldest afternoon we've seen in Charlotte in the last 19 years).
TUESDAY 8:45 A.M. -- Gov. Pat McCrory is updating the media on the winter storm. "We made it through the first day, but the worst may be yet to come," he said.
McCrory said black ice will make this a dangerous situation for the next few days.
Officials said there was one storm-related death -- a 19-year-old died after losing control of her car and crashing in Hertford County.
The N.C. Highway Patrol responded to 2,100 calls Monday afternoon and troopers urge drivers to stay off the roads again because of teh possibility of a refreeze.
McCrory said there were 56,000 power outages reported statewide, mostly in the Sandhills area.
Nearly all of the school systems in the state -- 100 of them -- are closed Tuesday. Fifteen school systems are open or operating on a delay.
IMAGES: Icy road conditions across metro area
TUESDAY 8:30 A.M. -- UNCC has canceled all classes for Tuesday.
TUESDAY 8:25 A.M. -- Road conditions in Concord are similar in to other parts of the region, with I-85, primary and secondary routes and city streets all covered in a layer of ice and sleet. City of Concord Transportation crews have been distributing salt and sand overnight on designated bare pavement routes, but temperatures will have to increase before plowing is possible and the materials begin to cause melting.
Drivers are asked to stay off the road unless absolutely necessary. The overnight ice accumulation on trees was not as bad as predicted, and there were only minimal outages to the city's electric system that were all resolved in less than an hour.
TUESDAY 8:15 A.M. -- SouthPark and Charlotte Premium Outlets will open at 11 a.m. Tuesday.
TUESDAY 8 A.M. -- Interim Airport Director Brent Cagle said operations at the airport should be back to normal around midday Tuesday.
"We strongly advice passengers who are flying today to check with their airlines before coming to the airport," Cagle said.
About 2,000 customers spent the night at the airport. There were about 30 to 40 cancellations Tuesday morning as well.
"When the airport goes into weather operations we bring staff on 12-hour shifts and we started that at 7 a.m. yesterday morning. That's about 130 to 150 staff. They primarily focus on maintaining the airfield, the landside roadways and dealing with passengers here in the terminal," Cagle said.
All of the parallel runways were open. The only runway that was closed is the crossway 5-23. Cagle said it is normally closed for de-icing operations.
"We will assess tonight the situation and determine how long the snow operations will continue," Cagle said.
TUESDAY 7:02 A.M. -- OUTAGES BY COUNTY: Chesterfield (7,600), Anson (1,578), Mecklenburg (243), Rowan (984), Chester (619)
TUESDAY 6:54 A.M. -- City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County offices will open at noon Tuesday.
TUESDAY 6:47 A.M. -- The metro area will begin to warm up a little by midday but not a lot of sunshine is expected. A few spots to the southeast of Charlotte are still dealing with some wintry mix, but not much. Temperatures are stuck in the 20s across the region. Near freezing temps can be expected around noon but they will drop back below freezing Tuesday night.
TUESDAY 6:42 A.M. -- Charlotte Emergency Management says secondary roads should be passable around lunch time.
TUESDAY 6:30 A.M. -- Channel 9 Meteorologist Vicki Graf says record cold is on the way Thursday. Charlotte area is on track for 22 degrees -- its coldest Feb. 19. The last time we were that cold in the afternoon was Feb. 4, 1996.
TUESDAY 6:18 A.M. -- Chester County government offices will open at 10 a.m.
TUESDAY 6:16 A.M. -- MEDIC responded to just two traffic crashes from midnight until 5 a.m.
TUESDAY 6:05 A.M. -- Winthrop University day and evening classes for Tuesday are canceled due to weather conditions. Offices will be closed.
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TUESDAY 5:52 A.M. -- All Chesterfield County offices will be on a 2-hour delay -- opening at 10:30 a.m.
TUESDAY 5:44 A.M. -- Charlotte Douglas International Airport remains open and operational. The airport continues to experience delays and cancellations. Currently, two parallel runways are open. A third runway is scheduled to open around 7 a.m. Runway 5/23 remains closed for deicing operations, which will resume at 6 a.m. A total of 135 planes were deiced Monday. Airport roadways are hazardous, particularly along bridges and overpasses. Treatment of roadways continues. Airport maintenance crews worked throughout the night and continue treating and monitoring runways and taxiways. More than 2,000 passengers spent the night in the terminal. Cots, mats, pillows and blankets were distributed and some airport concessionaires and checkpoints extended hours to accommodate travelers.
TUESDAY 5:38 A.M. -- Winter Storm Warning for Watauga County has been canceled.
TUESDAY 5:32 A.M. -- CMPD says the only major road closure is inbound Independence Blvd. onto I-277.
TUESDAY 5:30 A.M. -- Due to adverse weather conditions, the City of Kannapolis offices will delay opening until noon Tuesday. Garbage & recycling is on a three hour delay.
TUESDAY 5:24 A.M. -- CATS is operating all service, bus & train Tuesday but expect delays due to weather.
TUESDAY 4:56 A.M. -- Kannapolis has received an accumulation of sleet and freezing rain overnight. Public Works staff members have put down slag and salt during the night on major thoroughfares. They will continue their efforts this morning but with the freezing temperatures and the continued precipitation there is no melting occurring.
TUESDAY 4:47 A.M. -- The exit leading to the inner loop of I-485 from Highway 74 westbound is still closed.
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TUESDAY 4:35 A.M. -- Storm system clearing out of the area right on schedule. Back end of the sleet/freezing rain/snow mix moving out through Albemarle.
TUESDAY 4:13 A.M. -- OUTAGES BY COUNTY: Mecklenburg (290), Union (1,456), Rowan (980), York (144), Chesterfield (749), Chester (251), Anson (1,575)
TUESDAY 4:04 A.M. -- As the storm clears out, the biggest issue we will have to deal with Tuesday will be subfreezing temps. It might be midday before we get close to reaching temps above freezing.
TUESDAY 3:57 A.M. -- Duke Energy outages in Mecklenburg County: 290
TUESDAY 3:30 A.M. -- Duke Energy reporting more than 1,200 outages in the Wesley Chapel area.
Watch Vicki Graf's update on icy conditions
TUESDAY 3 A.M. -- There has been about a half-inch of a mix of sleet and freezing rain that fell in Charlotte during the storm. Most of that was sleet. About 0.10 of an inch of ice accumulated.
TUESDAY 2:50 A.M. -- POWER OUTAGE: 2,500 customers affected in Rowan County
TUESDAY 2:43 A.M. -- POWER OUTAGE: Wilkinson Boulevard and Morehead Street area. 1,186 customers affected.
TUESDAY 1:55 A.M. -- NCDOT- Gaston County: Interstates and primary roads are covered with snow and ice.
IMAGES: Icy road conditions across the region
TUESDAY 1:45 A.M. -- Due to severe winter weather conditions, the City of Charlotte offices plan to delay opening on Tuesday.
TUESDAY 1:30 A.M. -- There will be freezing rain for Charlotte, mainly before 5 a.m. with a low around 24 degrees.
TUESDAY 12:45 A.M. -- Matthews Fire and EMS responded to 12 calls, eight storm-related accidents. Officials ask to stay off the roads until crews treat and clear them.
PHOTOS: Ice storm hits Charlotte area
MONDAY 11:45 P.M. -- Notable Duke Energy outages: Mecklenburg- 93; Gaston 733
MONDAY 10:45 P.M. -- Paramedics responded to 87 weather-related accidents in Mecklenburg County. 135 people were taken to the hospital.
MONDAY 10:30 P.M. -- The Airport continues to experience delays and cancellations and remains open and operational, and staff is working with our partners to assist customers.
MONDAY 10:15 P.M. -- Roads in Oakboro are nearly impassable due to freezing rain.
MONDAY 9:40 P.M. -- There is an ice storm warning until 7 a.m. Tuesday for Chester and Lancaster counties. Conditions are extremely dangerous there.
MONDAY 9:15 P.M. -- Duke Energy is reporting 56 power outages in Mecklenburg County.
MONDAY 8:45 P.M. -- Snow and sleet are accumulating north of I-40. Newland: 4 inches; Valle Crusis: 4 inches; Morganton: 2 inches.
MONDAY 8:15 P.M. -- Reports of ice accumulating in downtown Cornelius on power lines and sidewalks.
ROAD CONDITIONS: Multiple wrecks being reported
MONDAY 8:06 P.M. -- Gov. Pat McCrory is urging people to stay off the roads tonight as the winter storm moves east across North Carolina. Forecasters have increased predicted snow and ice accumulation totals in many areas potentially making roads impassable in a portion of the central part of state.
MONDAY 7:40 P.M. -- Transition to freezing rain is complete in Charlotte. There is already some ice build-up and it will get worse overnight.
MONDAY 7:30 P.M. -- Precipitation is slowly changing over to freezing rain in the Charlotte area.
MONDAY 7:10 P.M. -- As road conditions deteriorate, multiple wrecks are being reported. Officials warn people to stay off the roads.
MONDAY 6:30 P.M. -- Charlotte City Manager Ron Carlee said there have been 26 accidents in Charlotte in the past three hours.
MONDAY 6:05 P.M. -- Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools has canceled classes Tuesday.
MONDAY 5:55 P.M. -- The changeover to freezing rain will occur around 8 p.m. There is some evidence of freezing rain in southern York County and Denver.
MONDAY 5:20 P.M. -- According to FAA, arriving flights to Charlotte Douglas International Airport are delayed on average of 3 hours and 45 minutes.
MONDAY 5:05 P.M. -- Classes are canceled Monday night at UNC Charlotte. Classes prior to 11 a.m. Tuesday are also canceled.
MONDAY 4:50 P.M. -- Watauga County Schools are closed Tuesday.
VIDEO: Duke Energy crews prep for power outages
MONDAY 4:10 P.M. -- Duke Energy says they expect significant outages from winter storm. Crews are standing by to deice planes at Charlotte Douglas International Airport. The airport said 28 deicing trucks are positioned along runway.
WINTER STORM: List of area school closings, delays
Models continue to show ice will be a major player from the winter storm in and around Charlotte. It will also be quick, likely to be over by Tuesday morning's drive.
What to know: Preparing for an ice storm
Ice accumulations will be between .25 - 0.4 inch from uptown Charlotte north toward Interstate 40. There will be lesser amounts of ice from south Charlotte into the South Carolina midlands. There will be a sharp cutoff of accumulating ice to little or no ice as the freezing line pushes between Highway 9 towards the North and South Carolina borders.
There will be some sun and melting Tuesday afternoon.
Warming stations are being opened in Charlotte Monday night and Tuesday morning to make sure everyone can seek shelter from the cold.
Those who need shelter can come to the Mecklenburg County Homeless Resource Center, 618 North College Street at the Hal Marshall Annex. Beginning at 6 p.m., those needing shelter will be provided transportation to one of the following places:
• Salvation Army Women's Shelter (for women and children only)
- 534 Spratt Street, Charlotte
• Men's Shelter of Charlotte
- 1210 N Tryon St, Charlotte
• Urban Ministry/Room At The Inn
- Registration is required today from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. for tonight.
- 945 North College Street, Charlotte
• Piedmont IB Middle School (American Red Cross Shelter)
- 1241 E. 10th Street, Charlotte
Additional warming station hours will be added as needed.
The snow has arrived in the North Carolina mountains and will push into areas such as Shelby.
WATCH RAW VIDEO: Charlotte, Meck Co. leaders discuss winter storm readiness
The area should see the change over from initial snow to freezing rain around 8 p.m. or 9 p.m. Monday.
The worst conditions will develop around midnight. Monday said it should still wind down before dawn Tuesday.
It looks more likely most areas in metro Charlotte will see at least a quarter inch of ice. Some spots could see just under half inch of ice.
MONDAY 12:31 P.M. -- Gov. Pat McCroy said a state of emergency has been declared for North Carolina ahead of a major winter storm.
"Take care of your neighbors. Take care of your pets. Support our teams out on the roads," McCrory said.
North Carolina Department of Transportation crews spread 1.3 million gallons of salt brine ahead of the storm across the state.
IMAGES: Road crews prep for winter storm around Charlotte area
McCrory said North Carolina Highway Patrol troopers and NCDOT crews will be looking for stranded motorists so no one will stay out in the cold weather overnight.
RAW: Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co. officials on winter storm preps
Troopers asked drivers to call 511 or visit readync.org for the latest on the road conditions. Only call 911 in case of emergencies.
South Carolina Highway Patrol said it will have every possible trooper answering calls throughout the night and monitoring the roads.
WATCH:Vicki Graf on switch from snow to freezing rain
MONDAY 11:15 A.M. -
Charlotte Mayor Dan Clodfelter spoke at a news conference with other city and county officials to provide updates on the winter storm preparations.
Clodfelter is urging employers to let workers go home early because of the storm. City Manager Ron Carlee said they are expecting freezing rain. "We need people to stay off the roads."
Link to closings and delays page
Duke Energy is expecting power outages with this storm. If your power goes out you are urged to call 1-800-POWER-ON.
South Carolina Department of Transportation has started treating roads, including Interstate 77. DOT will pretreat 150 miles of I-77 Monday.
SCDOT will also focus on areas around hospitals and major bridges, including on Highway 5 near the paper plant at the river.
Follow Greg Suskin on Twitter for more on what is happening in South Carolina during this storm.
Follow Keith Monday on Twitter for constant updates.
Download the WSOC-TV weather app
City of Charlotte prepares for winter storm
The City of Charlotte is warning the public to prepare for the winter storm. The city and partnering agencies are taking the following steps:
- The Charlotte Department of Transportation began treating city streets for winter weather conditions Sunday afternoon. CDOT began salt brining the bridges, main roads and hospital entrances. Icing conditions, however, may make roads slippery and travel could become treacherous.
- The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) has implemented its inclement weather procedures. Buses will run on their regular schedule tomorrow for as long as possible. The Lynx light rail line plans to maintain its schedule tomorrow. Transit riders are advised to visit the CATS website ridetransit.org for any updates and schedule changes.
- Solid Waste Services will proceed with normal garbage, recyclables and yard waste collection Monday, Feb. 16. The department will evaluate roads at noon, and if conditions are worsening, yard waste collection will be suspended to assist with the collection of garbage and recyclables. Sidewalk salting will start to take place at noon Monday, Feb. 16. Solid Waste Services will review collection schedules on Tuesday morning based on the weather.
- Charlotte Douglas International Airport will make adjustments to operations and staffing to assist travelers. Deicing procedures will begin tomorrow morning, and taxiways will be treated. Airport roadways, overpasses and parking areas will be monitored and treated as necessary. Conditions are subject to change and travelers should frequently check conditions with their air carrier.
- Mecklenburg County will monitor the weather and respond to changing conditions if needed.
Call 311 to report icy conditions and get updates on services.
Call 911 for emergencies and accidents.
Crews prepare for winter storm
Crews have been out prepping the roads all weekend in an effort to keep drivers safe.
The city of Charlotte's plan is to keep a close eye on the areas that will freeze first -- places like bridges and overpasses.
There are 160 across the city and that's why the Charlotte Department of Transportation said they have a fleet of more than 50 trucks and 100 people who will be working throughout the day Monday to treat main roads with a mixture of brine and calcium chloride.
DOCUMENT: Charlotte Department of Transportation's street priority list
With upwards of a quarter of an inch or more of ice expected, DOT crews will be monitoring roads and treating them with salt as needed.
As crews ready the roads others were out preparing their homes.
"I stocked up on everything except salt. That's something I need to get and that's what I'm looking for now," said Eric Falls.
By Tuesday morning, Charlotte's roads are expected to look much different.
Parents that spoke with Channel 9 said they're glad school was out Monday, but said they're hoping the snow and ice won't impact the morning drive Tuesday.
Delays and cancellations at Charlotte Douglas
Officials announced Monday at noon that 130 flights in and out of Charlotte Douglas International would be cancelled due to the approaching storm -- most of them on Tuesday.
Airport officials said they have extra staff ready to treat roads and runways, and they're ready to de-ice planes as necessary.
American, Delta and Southwest airlines have all said they'll waive ticket change fees.
Airline officials are urging passengers to be prepared and check with their airline before heading to the airport.
Warming shelters for those in need
Salvation Army warming shelters will stay open until temperatures rise above freezing. The Salvation Army even opened up extra spaces at its Center of Hope in north Charlotte.
More than a dozen women and children checked in over the weekend. The organization said no women or children will be turned away.
The Red Cross also opened a warming center in Watauga County. It's at the fire department on old U.S. Highway 421 in Deep Gap. The Red Cross said it will keep the center open as long as there are people in need.
Almost all of North Carolina waiting on snow and ice
Forecasters are warning nearly all of North Carolina to get ready for snow and ice.
Some type of winter weather advisory or warning has been issued Monday for 97 of the state's 100 counties. Only the areas around Wilmington and Morehead City were not affected.
The National Weather Service says in most major cities will see snow, followed by freezing rain. Forecasters say the ice could be heaviest from Charlotte to Raleigh. More snow is expected in the Triad and to the west, with lighter ice amounts from Raleigh east.
Forecasters said ice amounts late Monday and Tuesday should stay below the half-inch threshold where widespread power outages can be expected. But utility crews are on standby.
Crews have treated roads across North Carolina as ground temperatures are near freezing.
Snow, sleet, ice threat raised in several areas of the South
Snow falling steadily in parts of Kentucky turned roads hazardous Monday as a major winter storm system also threatened to spew ice, sleet and freezing rain across several Southern states.
Up to 4 inches of snow were reported by forecasters in some areas of Kentucky after daybreak amid scenes of cars fishtailing and sliding off highways in Louisville. Forecasters warned that the storm had the potential to spread a treacherous winter mix of precipitation across neighboring Tennessee and into northern parts of Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi.
Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal issued a State of Emergency until Tuesday and ordered critical highways to be pre-treated with chemicals ahead of the storm settling across the region. Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant issued a State of Emergency Sunday for portions of northern Mississippi through Monday.
Winter advisories warned of the threat that roads in several areas could become hazardous with sleet and ice in coming hours, recalling a major ice storm in January 2014 that trapped motorists in cars and trucks for hours on metro Atlanta freeways. In Mississippi, counties near the Tennessee state line could see as much as three-quarters of an inch of ice from freezing rain, forecasters predicted.
In Georgia, up to a quarter of an inch of ice could accumulate in a handful mountainous northern counties that include cities such as Blairsville, Dalton and Dahlonega, the National Weather Service said in a winter storm warning.
It wasn't immediately clear whether sleet and ice would stay north of the Atlanta metro area. The weather service initially warned that there could be some sleet and possibly a glazing of freezing rain during the day on some highways, particularly in Atlanta's heavily populated northern suburbs, though the expected impact remained unclear as the system approached.
Georgia officials were taking no chances. The Georgia Emergency Management Agency on Sunday brought in more personnel to the state operations center and planned to operate around the clock.
"We are now 24/7 until we perceive that the threat has diminished, and that may be at least Wednesday but maybe even later in the week," Jim Butterworth, director the Georgia Emergency Management Agency Director Jim Butterworth, told The Associated Press on Sunday.
The Georgia Department of Transportation said it was pre-treating roads with a mixture of salt and water to limit the ability of ice to bond to roadways.
In Mississippi, a winter storm warning said sleet and freezing rain was likely through Monday evening from near Tunica along a line across far north Mississippi. Forecasters said up to a half-inch of ice and an inch of sleet could accumulate, making travel dangerous. They said people also could lose power should ice takes down branches, trees and power lines.
In Alabama, ice could accumulate up to a tenth of an inch thick in some areas, with higher amounts possible near the Tennessee border, the weather service said in a winter weather advisory for northern parts of the state. The Alabama National Guard, emergency officials and law enforcement agencies were all put on alert ahead of the storm, Gov. Robert Bentley said in a statement.
Alabama residents "should have an emergency preparedness kit in their vehicle in case travel is necessary while winter weather is impacting the state," Alabama Emergency Management Agency Director Art Faulkner said in a statement.
Farther south in New Orleans, forecasts of rain prompted authorities in one of that city's suburb to reschedule some of Monday's pre-Mardi Gras parades early to beat rain in the forecast for later in the day.
"We could get some rumbles of thunder, some lightning and brief, heavy rain," said National Weather Service meteorologist Phil Grigsby in southeast Louisiana. He predicted temperatures that reached the 70s recently in south Louisiana could drop to the 30s and 40s in the region for a while early in the week.
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