Weather

Slushy roads to turn to ice as temperatures plunge overnight

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte region is dealing with the aftermath of a major winter storm Thursday.

[WINTER STORM RECAP: Snow blankets Charlotte area Wednesday]

[Snow blankets North Carolina; power lost, crashes reported]

Temperatures have warmed to the upper 30s which assisted in melting a good deal of the snow and ice on the roads. Many of the roads have dried completely.

The roads that haven't completely dried will re-freeze overnight as temperatures will once again fall below freezing, on the way to the low 20s and even teens some places, overnight.

The sunshine and warmup continue through the week as temperatures will soar back into the 60s by Sunday.

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The next front arrives late Monday, but it will likely be just rain showers with temperatures still in the upper 50s.

The temperatures will stay in the 50s for at least through midweek.

The temperatures will stay in the 50s for at least through midweek.

Drivers avoid ice and snow flying off other vehicles

Flying ice and snow can dent vehicles and crack windshields.

Action 9's Jason Stoogenke saw example after example Thursday.

"I kind of thought, 'Hopefully, it don't hit my car and hurt it, you know," driver Courtney Shurley said.

Chris Burr, with Caliber Collision, said insurance is usually good about picking up the tab, but to make sure you have comprehensive insurance, which is separate from collision.

"You got ice that's flying off of these vehicles and they're hitting the roofs, they're hitting the hoods, and just general damage altogether," Burr said.

Some states fine people for flying ice and snow, but the Carolinas do not.

North Carolina Highway Patrol Sgt. Michael Baker calls it "the proper thing to do,” but, he also said, "Motorists are required to ensure their windshield and back glass has no visibility obstructions."

N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper's office told Stoogenke, "I would also note that [the Highway Patrol] strongly advises clearing your vehicle before driving. It's safer for you and everyone else on the road."

"You got to be safe. You got to think about others, not just yourself, when you're on the roads," Shurley said.

Many secondary roads remain slick

Thick patches of ice and snow caked on Hillston Ridge Road in Huntersville is just an example of what many secondary streets are still dealing with.

Once the sun came up, a lot of the ice melted on primary and secondary roads, but road crews all over are concerned about secondary roads with a lot of trees and hills that the sun was unable to reach.

[Winter storm keeps troopers very busy]

Those are the roads crews said could be dangerous when temperatures drop Thursday night and that ice refreezes.

Neighbors said they have some concern about getting to work and school Friday morning.

"I expect we still have nasty spots on neighborhood streets,” neighbor Mike Dawson said. “Main streets look good, but I'd imagine people will have trouble getting cars out of their driveway.”

Road crews have been working feverishly since Thursday afternoon trying to clear some of those icy secondary streets.

[FULL LIST: CMS, local districts closed Thursday due to snow]

[SCHOOL AND BUSINESS CLOSINGS]

Many lose power in frigid temperatures

For some families, the slick roads weren't the problem.

They were without power in the freezing temperatures.

Channel 9 reporter Ken Lemon went inside a home without heat in Gastonia after a tree fell on a powerline during the height of the snow and ice.

Tree trimmers said it could happen again almost anywhere that got significant snow.

They said rain would hit the ground and run off, but the snow will slowly seep into the ground right around the base of trees weakening the earth around the roots.

Sheila Robinson said she was thrilled to check the thermostat and find the temperature in her Gastonia home was back to 60 degrees.

"I looked at the thermostat this morning, it was on 49,” she said.

Robinson said she and several of her neighbors around April Drive lost power around 1 a.m. Thursday.

The roads were icy and they were stuck in snow-covered homes.

"Freezing. We all stayed under the blankets,” Robinson said.

Robinson was most concerned about her 83-year-old father, who is immobile and has diabetes.

"He can't get up like we can and get blood circulating,” Robinson said.

Robinson kept blankets on her father until power was restored about 10 hours later.

Duke Energy officials said after the thaw out, large limbs stressed by the snow and ice can eventually snap, falling on powerlines or transformers.

Trees can also fall because the ground around the roots is soaked.

After crews restored power to people in the Gastonia community, they trimmed limbs hanging over power lines.

Icy conditions cause wrecks in Catawba County

Road crews in Catawba County scrambled to clear snow and ice from secondary roads before freezing temperatures return Thursday night.

The frigid weather and slick conditions caused crashes, including one on Emmanuel Church Road in Conover.

Coy Yang was trying to get home from work when he lost control of his pickup truck overnight.

"Oh, my God, not right now. I'm going to die, but I was lucky,” Yang said.

Yang wasn't alone. Another car also slid off the road, feet away from his truck. Then, hours later, a big rig driver lost control, causing his 18-wheeler to jack-knife across the roadway.

Billy Ray Smith was hoping the truck didn't end up in his living room.

"It's been awful ever since last night,” Smith said. “I thought it was going to come into the yard. I thought it was going to come into the yard right there and I thought this truck was going to hit the house."

Reporter Dave Faherty said there were about 4 inches of snow on the ground along Highway 70. He said the Department of Transportation has done a great job on the main roads around town, but that the secondary roads remained icy and dangerous to drive on.

Public Works in Hickory said they didn't use their plow trucks until lunchtime.

Crews said it was so cold and their plows couldn't dig under the ice that was on the roadways.

Road crews plan on clearing as many streets as possible before the temperatures begin to drop again overnight.

Police urge drivers to stay off roads.

Dozens of local school districts, including Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, were closed Thursday because of the winter weather.

The bridge from inbound Independence Boulevard to inner Interstate 277 in uptown was blocked for most of the Thursday morning by construction barricades because of ice concerns, creating a major traffic issue for drivers.

Police urged people to stay off the road Thursday, and for those who have to venture out, officials provided a warning to be extra careful. While many interstates are clear, side roads are slick and icy.

In Cabarrus County, southbound Lower Rocky River Road was impassable near Rocky River Road because a layer of ice on the road had caused vehicles to slide into a ditch, according to the Department of Transportation.

NCDOT has listed more information on severe weather and safety tips.

Gov. Roy Cooper provided an update Thursday morning on the storm's impact across the state. He said a driver and passenger were killed when a car ran off the road in Washington County, marking the first two deaths attributed to the storm in the state.

A state of emergency remains in place across North Carolina until further notice.

[VIEWER PHOTOS: Snow falls across Charlotte area Wednesday]

The National Guard is on standby, ready to respond, but Cooper and other state officials had warnings for drivers.

“We anticipate extremely dangerous driving conditions,” said North Carolina Highway Patrol Col. Glenn M. McNeill.

According to the Department of Transportation, 2,000 trucks have been working around the clock to clear roads.

“We'll say it again -- please stay off the roads unless it's absolutely necessary,” Cooper added.

The Highway Patrol told Channel 9 there have been nearly 2,000 crashes across the state and troopers have responded to nearly 3,500 calls for help.

In Charlotte, CMPD said they were called to 265 crashes Wednesday, and 25 Thursday morning as of 8 a.m.

While many main roads in Mooresville are clear, side roads and parking lots are still dangerous. There was at least half-an-inch of solid ice covering the ground in many areas Channel 9 visited Thursday morning.

"It could definitely cause a problem,” said one neighbor, Joshua Saylor. “Any firetruck, police, anybody would have a problem getting in here."

Neighbors worry that if someone gets hurt in a crash, an ambulance won't be able to make it through the ice.

Residents at the Willow Creek Apartments off Highway 150 are so worried, some are actually threatening to sue the apartment owners in an effort to try and scare them into bringing in a snow plow.

Channel 9 reporter Mark Barber was in the Lake Norman area Thursday and saw first-hand how dangerous the icy roads can be.

There were many crashes around town, including two cars that slid off a slippery stretch of Davidson Road and slammed into trees.

While it was slowing warming up, the side streets and untreated parking lots are still treacherous.

"It's slick, it's definitely dangerous,” Saylor said. “I could slip and fall, hurt myself. Anyone could, plus people who need to go to work can easily get in an accident in the parking lot."

Dozens of planes lined up Wednesday at Charlotte Douglas International Airport to be de-iced and those operations will likely continue Thursday morning. Officials said more than 320 planes were de-iced Wednesday.

Some flights were canceled for Thursday due to the weather. Those cancellations come on the heels of more than 200 flights that were canceled Wednesday.

1

The airport is urging passengers to check with their airlines on the status of their flights before going to the airport.

[LINK: FLIGHT TRACKER]

Winter Weather Guide: 

2

CATS announced that the LYNX Gold Line streetcar service would not operate Thursday because of the winter weather.

WEATHER RESOURCES:

Cox Media Group

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