Charlotte exceeded high-end snow expectations, experts say. When will it melt?
Much of the Charlotte area surpassed worst-case scenarios for snow accumulations Saturday, and temperatures are staying low enough to keep it from melting on Sunday, forecasters say.
That means driving conditions will not improve Monday.
Final snow totals for the Charlotte area range from 6 to 12 inches, while the northern metro area of Mooresville, Concord, Kannapolis and Salisbury got 12 to 17 inches, the National Weather Service told The Charlotte Observer.
The snow stopped around midnight Saturday, as temperatures hit 16 degrees with a minus 1 degree wind chill.
“So far the highest totals we’ve seen with this storm have been out of Cabarrus and Rowan Counties with some big totals across the northern Charlotte metro as well!” the National Weather Service reported late Saturday. “Very impressive heavy snow band this afternoon helped drop big totals!”
One snow band pivoted across the Interstate 77 corridor late Saturday, dropping 1 to 2 inches per hour, NWS forecasters say.
AccuWeather reported accumulations of 12 to 16 inches in the Charlotte area, including 11 inches at Charlotte Douglas International Airport. More than 800 flights had been cancelled as of Sunday afternoon, FlightAware reports.
The sun may compact the snow, making it appear melting occurred, AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham told The Charlotte Observer.
“It’s going to be a difficult stretch, with snow on the ground at least through Tuesday,” Buckingham said.
“It will begin to melt some on Monday and by the end of the day, we could see half the snow gone. But even if it gets above freezing, slushy areas will refreeze at night, turning into concrete ice. Secondary streets could see issues into midweek”
The National Weather Service reports darker surfaces under direct sunlight will be the first to clear.
Gov. Josh Stein noted at a Sunday news conference that all 100 counties experienced snow – including 16 inches in Lexington and 15 inches in Ocean Isle – and he warned people to stay off the roads.
“DOT has 2,500 people out working overtime to try and clear as much snow today as they can, but our fear is that with temperatures staying below freezing today and much of tomorrow, many roads will be bad in many places across the state for days to come,” Stein said.
The N.C. Highway Patrol responded to 1,686 calls for service during the storm, including 1,112 collisions. Traffic fatalities were reported in Robeson and Rutherford counties, officials said.
The N.C. National Guard assisted troopers in some areas, by mobilizing military police to search abandoned cars for stranded motorists.
Medic Ambulance reports it responded to 52 wrecks in Mecklenburg County during the storm.
In one of the more unusual crashes, a pickup left the road and landed in a retention pond along Jerimoth Drive, the Charlotte Fire Department reported. It happened around 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and the driver was found standing in the bed of the truck, waiting for rescue. It took about an hour to bring the motorist to shore, using an inflatable raft.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg police announced late Saturday that Independence Boulevard was closed between Briar Creek Road and Interstate 277 “due to hazardous conditions.”
No bus, light rail service Sunday
No public transit was available Sunday in Mecklenburg.
All bus, light rail, streetcar and microtransit services are suspended for the day as crews continue to clear snow from station platforms, bus stops, garages and transit centers.
The Charlotte Area Transit System said Blue Line light rail and bus services will start back at noon Monday. The Gold Line streetcar and express bus service will remain suspended. Microtransit services will only run from noon to 6 p.m. Monday, and bus routes will likely have detours.
A high in the lower 30s was forecast Sunday for Mecklenburg County, with a low of around 9 degrees, National Weather Service says.
“Temperatures will remain very cold early this week. Temperatures across portions of the area are likely to remain below freezing until at least Monday afternoon,” the National Weather Service says.
“As this period of unusually cold weather continues, the potential for damage to infrastructure, including burst water pipes, will steadily increase.”
Duke Energy is asking customers to conserve energy from 4 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday due to “unusually high energy demand across the East Coast, including the Carolinas.”
Duke recommends lowering thermostats, turning off unnecessary devices and not using major appliances such as washing machines, dryers and dishwashers during that time.
Weight on the snow power lines and nearby trees is expected to cause power outages though the day Sunday. As of noon, more than 7,300 outages were reported, ReadyNC.gov said.
This story was originally published February 1, 2026 at 6:57 AM.
