Snow blankets Charlotte region. Freezing rain & sleet could bring icy roads, outages

Interstates and other roads started turning dangerous in parts of the Carolinas on Friday from an icy and snowy winter storm hitting the Charlotte region into Saturday.

“The roads are bad,” Trooper Brandon Bolt of the South Carolina State Highway Patrol said in a video at 10:30 a.m. on the social media site X. Bolt spoke at a wreck scene on U.S. 221 in Greenwood County, west of Columbia.

“Thankfully, no one was hurt, but this is what you’re starting to see all across our state,” Bolt said.

North Carolina road conditions were expected to deteriorate overnight.

Power outages are likely statewide, Gov. Josh Stein said at a Friday news conference.

Stein urged North Carolinians to “monitor their local weather forecast during the next several days” and “stay home, if possible.”

“Make any final preparations today necessary to remain safe and warm this weekend,” Stein said.

A light sleet fell, and ice began forming in Ballantyne in south Charlotte around 2 p.m., while flurries appeared around 3 p.m. in York County and 3:30 p.m. in Mooresville near Lake Norman. The flurries soon transformed into full-blown snow that stuck to the ground.

At 4 p.m., 0.1 inches of snow was recorded at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, NWS meteorologists said on X.

“With measurable snow, the record snow drought of 1,077 days (snow last observed on January 29, 2022) at CLT is officially over!” the forecasters said.

Sleet and freezing rain were falling along and south of Interstate 40, NWS meteorologists said on X at 5:45 p.m.

At 6 p.m., the snow turned to sleet at Lake Norman.

“This will lead to hazardous road conditions,” NWS forecasters said. “Ice will accumulate on bridges, power lines, & trees tonight, especially along/south of I-85. This may lead to power outages.”

In Huntersville, a person pinned in a car in one of three wrecks within minutes of each other was hospitalized with serious injuries, firefighters said.

The person was hurt on Beatties Ford Road behind where a fire truck was parked after responding to another wreck just before 5:30 p.m.

After a third crash, firefighters closed the road when the two-car wreck took down power lines.

WCCB footage showed a huge plume of smoke billowing from a car that caught fire in one of the wrecks.

730 flights canceled

At 8 p.m. Friday, at least 730 flights were canceled at Charlotte Douglas and 161 delayed, according to FlightAware, an online website providing real-time information.

The airport will stay open and operational, according to CLT.

Snow, then sleet, then freezing rain

“Appreciable ice” is expected in the Charlotte area and elsewhere, National Weather Service forecaster Jake Wimberley said Friday.

The NWS predicts ice totals between a tenth of an inch and a quarter inch in southern Mecklenburg and York County, S.C. Ice totals are expected to be less than a tenth of an inch in northern areas closer to Lake Norman, but higher snow totals are forecast there, Wimberley said.

The snow and sleet mix is forecast to continue into the night before becoming mostly freezing rain early Saturday, he said.

With below-freezing temperatures expected overnight, “roads could become icy and dangerous for travel,” according to a statement by the S.C. Department of Transportation Friday night.

If you must travel, “slow down, plan your route in advance and stick to interstate and primary routes,” highway officials said.

An overnight low of 27 is forecast in Charlotte, 5 degrees below freezing.

The wintry mix should end around sunrise Saturday, Wimberley said.

Snowfall could total up to at least 2 inches in the Lake Norman area, between 1 and 2 inches in central Mecklenburg and less in the southern end of the county and York County, he said.

Charlotte airport storm prep

A team of 40 snow removal and de-icing vehicles prepared for the storm at Charlotte’s airport.

Parking lots and decks are open and were pre-treated for snow and ice, airport officials said.

The airport encourages passengers to check their flight status before leaving home.

The CLT Airport Overlook closed at noon and will remain closed until noon Saturday. Food trucks have been canceled this weekend.

Workers began pre-treating the airfield and surrounding roads Thursday night, according to the airport.

American Airlines, which accounts for 89% of Charlotte Douglas flights, reduced its schedule due to winter conditions.

“Our team in Charlotte — and across our airline — is working around the clock and braving the conditions to support our customers and keep our airline moving,” the airline said in a statement. “And we apologize for the inconvenience this winter weather is causing.”

“The length of time that deicing fluid is effective is greatly reduced with sleet and freezing rain that’s in the forecast for Charlotte this afternoon and overnight,” according to the AA statement.

Due to weather, the airline anticipates periods when no planes will be able to depart.

American issued a travel alert for CLT and nearly 50 other airports to give customers flexibility with their travel plans, according to the airline. The travel notice will continue through Sunday.

Schools and other closings

Charlotte homeless shelters are expanding capacity through Sunday, and CATS will provide free transportation to the shelters.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and the Gaston County school system switched to a fully remote learning day Friday, while the Union and Lincoln county school systems were closed. Schools in York, Chester, and Lancaster counties in Upstate South Carolina were either closed or virtual Friday.

UNC Charlotte reduced operations at noon, although the campus remained open.

All Mecklenburg County court sessions recessed at 12:30 p.m.

Charlotte Observer reporter Chase Jordan contributed.

This story will be updated.

This story was originally published January 10, 2025 at 10:37 AM.

Andrew Dys

The Herald

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Andrew Dys covers breaking news and public safety for The Herald, where he has been a reporter and columnist since 2000. He has won 51 South Carolina Press Association awards for his coverage of crime, race, justice, and people. He is author of the book “Slice of Dys” and his work is in the U.S. Library of Congress.