‘Ice storm’ could lock parts of Western North Carolina in half-inch of ice, experts say
An Ice Storm Warning is in effect for parts of the North Carolina mountains, and the storm could leave as much as a half-inch of ice in its wake, the National Weather Service says.
The warning lasts through 7 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12, and Avery and Burke counties are expected to see the worst conditions.
“Ice accumulations could make many roads treacherous and impassable. The weight of ice on tree limbs and power lines could produce numerous outages,” forecasters said early Tuesday, Feb. 11.
“Locations along and east of Highway 221 could see up to one half inch.”
The ice is associated with a winter storm that will bring every imaginable variation of winter precipitation to much of the state.
Five inches of rain could fall by Thursday in mountain counties that remain above freezing.
Meanwhile, colder parts of Western North Carolina will see mixes of snow, ice and sleet through Wednesday, forecasters say.
- Boone in Watauga County can expect “snow and sleet accumulations up to one inch and ice accumulations up to three-tenths of an inch,” forecasters say.
- Asheville in Buncombe County will see ice accumulations of about a tenth of an inch by Wednesday morning, with a quarter of an inch in higher elevations like McDowell and Caldwell counties.
- Cherokee, just east of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, will see a rain-sleet mix that could leave a “thin glaze of ice” on elevated surfaces Tuesday into Wednesday, forecasters say.
This story was originally published February 11, 2025 at 7:25 AM.