>>>
>>> THE
>>> THE CAROLINAS ARE BRACING FOR A MAJOR WINTER STORM. THE SYSTEM IS MOVING AND RIGHT
NOW.
MANY AREAS ALREADY SEE SNOW AND
SLEET.
WE ARE UNDER A STATE OF
EMERGENCY WITH WINTER STORM
WARNINGS AFFECTING MILLIONS.
>> SEVERAL ZAAR ALREADY SLICK.
HUNDREDS COULD BE UNDRIVABLE.
OFFICIALS ARE URGING PEOPLE TO
STAY HOME.
>>> PER HOUR CRUISE ARE ON
STANDBY PREDICTING 500,000
PEOPLE COULD LOSE POWER.
UTILITY CREWS ARE ALL OVER THE
CAROLINAS ON THE READY.
>>> GOOD EVENING AT THANK YOU
FOR JOINING US HERE ON NBC
CHARLOTTE.
>>> WE HAVE LIVE TEAM COVERAGE
HERE ON NBC CHARLOTTE
THROUGHOUT THE WEEKEND WITH
CREWS ACROSS THE AREA.
LET'S SEND IT OVER TO CHIEF
METEOROLOGIST BRAD PANOVICH IN
THE FIRST ONE STORM CENTER.
>>> WE OF THE WINTER STORM
WARNING FOR THE ENTIRE AREA,
EVERY SINGLE COUNTY UNDER A
WARNING OR ADVISORY.
IT'S REALLY PICKING UP RIGHT
NOW.
SNOW IS QUICKLY SPREADING INTO
THE PIEDMONT.
HEAVY SNOW TO THE WEST END EVEN
IN THE UPSTATE OF SOUTH
CAROLINA I WILL SHOW YOU THE
HEAVY SNOW AND TRYING FIVE WILL
ONLY PICK UP OVERNIGHT.
WE WILL SEE SNOW TO SLEET TO
ICE TRANSITION THROUGH THE
MIDDLE OF THE DAY.
THOSE OFFICIALS TELLING YOU NOT
TRAVEL TOMORROW ARE ABSOLUTELY
RIGHT.
OFFICIALLY SNOWING IN CHARLOTTE
AT THE AIRPORT SNOW IN
GASTONIA, SOUTH AND CARMEL AND
WE ARE SEEING LINCOLN COUNTY.
THE AREAS WHERE IT'S NOT
SNOWING OR RAINING NORTH OF
CHARLOTTE IT'S NOT A GOOD
THING.
THE TEMPERATURES ARE COOLING
DOWN BEFORE THE PRECIPITATION
THAT MEANS IT WILL FALL AS ICE.
WE SEE ICE IN SHELBY AND
NORTHERN CLEVELAND AND LENORE
UP TOWARDS BOONE.
AREAS IN GREENVILLE,
SPARTANBURG OUR SOUTH OF
CHARLOTTE THEY SEE HEAVY SNOW
RIGHT NOW AND IT'S ACCUMULATING
2-3 INCHES SO ONCE THE SNOW
MOVES IN, IT WILL ACCUMULATE
QUICKLY.
THE SNOWFALL MAP SHOWS 2-4
INCHES OF SNOW AND SLEET AND
EIGHT-16 NORTH AND THE
MOUNTAINS.
THE REAL CONCERN TOMORROW WILL
LIKELY BE ICE TO THE SOUTH.
THE AREAS THAT DON'T SEE HEAVY
SNOW YOU MIGHT THE BIG-TIME
ICE.
METEOROLOGIST IISHA SCOTT
JOINTS ME.
WE WILL SEE PRECIPITATION AND
TEMPERATURE STUMBLING TOMORROW.
>> IT'S GOING TO BE VERY COLD
SO GOING OUT TO CHURCH I KNOW
MANY SERVICES ARE CANCELED BUT
IF YOU COULD JUST STAY HOME
THAT'S YOUR BEST BET.
IGNORE THE 43 THE MODELS BEING
OPTIMISTIC THAT WOULD BE NICE.
OVERNIGHT, TEMPERATURES ARE
FALLING BACK INTO THE 30s.
EVEN UPPER 20s AND MANY SPOTS.
NOTICE WE SEE THE RAIN HIKER
SLEET MIX THROUGH TOMORROW
MORNING WE WILL TALK MORE IN A
FEW MINUTES.>>> RIGHT NOW, SNOW
WAS COMING DOWN AT SEVERAL
PARTS OF OUR VIEWING AREA
INCLUDING THE MOUNTAINS.
>> KENDALL MORRIS JOINS US FROM
BOONE AND IT'S BEEN SNOWING
THERE FOR HOURS RIGHT?
>> Reporter: IT REALLY HAS.
I'VE BEEN OUTSIDE FOR 15
MINUTES.
IF YOU LOOK AT ME I'M TURNING
+@
MINUTES. IF YOU LOOK AT ME I'M TURNING INTO A SNOW WOMAN.
THE SNOW, YOU CAN SEE THE
FLAKES ARE FALLING.
THEY ARE EXPECTING MORE THAN 12
INCHES UP HERE.
THIS IS A FLAT PARKING LOT AND
IT'S ABOUT .25 INCH RIGHT NOW.
WE ARE SLOWLY BUT SURELY
GETTING TO THE ACCUMULATION
THAT'S EXPECTED.
EARLIER TONIGHT, PEOPLE IN
DOWNTOWN WATCHED AS THE SNOW
STARTED BUT AS PRETTY AS IT
LOOKS THE D.O.
T OFFICIALS WANT YOU TO TAKE
THIS SERIOUSLY.
BEFORE THE STORM THEY WERE
TALKING ABOUT BEING PREPARED
WITH MORE THAN 3500 TONS OF
SALT AND 1200 GALLONS OF BRINE.
THEY WILL WORK AROUND THE CLOCK
TO PLOW THE SNOW.
IT WILL KEEP SNOWING THROUGHOUT
THE NIGHT WHICH COULD CREATE
HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS.
MANY WERE MAKING SURE THEIR
CARS WERE PREPARED IF THEY
ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO GET OUT.>>
IF I DIDN'T LIVE HERE AND
DIDN'T HAVE TO DRIVE IN IT, IT
WOULD SCARE ME.
IF MY TIRES WERE SLICK OR I
DIDN'T HAVE FOUR-WHEEL-DRIVE.>>
Reporter: THE BOONE FIRE
MARSHAL IS WARNING PEOPLE TO BE
PREPARED FOR POSSIBLY BEING
STUCK AT HOME FOR 72 HOURS
WITHOUT POWER.
THE NC D.O.
T IS URGING PEOPLE NOT TO
DRIVE.
YOU CAN ALREADY SEE THE ROADS
ARE COVERED IN SNOW.
YOU CAN'T SEE THE LINES.
IF YOU ARE STUCK AT HOME
TOMORROW, YOU WILL PROBABLY BE
OUT SHOVELING.
WE CAME PREPARED WITH OUR SNOW
SHOVEL.
LOOK AT THAT, THAT'S WHAT WE
ARE DEALING WITH AT THIS HOUR
AND IT'S ONLY EXPECTED TO GET
WORSE.
KENDALL MORRIS NBC CHARLOTTE.
>> I THINK YOU WILL NEED A
BIGGER RULER TOMORROW.
+@CHARLOTTE HAS ALREADY SEEN
SLICK ROADS BECAUSE OF RAIN AND
SLEET.
NBC CHARLOTTE'S BILLIE JEAN
SHAW IS JOINING US FROM THE
CHEVY STORM TRACKER.
HOW ARE THE ROADS?
>> Reporter: WE ARE TRAVELING
ON I-85 NEAR THE SUGAR CREEK
EXIT.
LET'S GO STRAIGHT TO THE DASH
CAM SO YOU CAN SEE THE ROADS.
WE ARE TRAVELING DOWN I-85.
THERE'S A WINTRY MIX FALLING ON
OUR WINDSHIELD.
THE TRAFFIC MOVING IS -- IS
MOVING AT A DECENT SPEED.
THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR 45
MINUTES.
LOOKING THROUGH THE ROOF CAMERA
IT'S COVERED AND ITS
CONSISTENTLY FALLING IT'S A MIX
BETWEEN RAIN AND SLEET IS WHAT
WE SEE RIGHT NOW.
WE'VE BEEN OUT ON THE ROAD ALL
THIS WEEK TREATING AND
PRETREATING MAKING SURE THE ICE
WILL MELT.
RIGHT NOW, WE DON'T SEE ANY BAD
CONDITIONS.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE
CONDITIONS AND KEEP YOU UP-TO-
DATE.
I'M BILLIE JEAN SHAW BACK TO
YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
>>> WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGES
ARE EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT 24
HOURS.
DUKE ENERGY PREDICTS HALF 1
MILLION PEOPLE COULD LOSE POWER
THIS WEEK.
DOZENS OF CRUISER ON STANDBY AT
CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY READY
TO RESPOND.>>> AIRLINES ARE
KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON THE
STORM AMERICAN AIRLINES HAS
ALREADY CANCELED MORE THAN 1000
FLIGHTS THIS WEEKEND.
THEY'VE ISSUED A TRAVEL ALERT
FOR 17 AIRPORTS IN EIGHT
STATES.
THAT INCLUDE CHARLOTTE,
ASHEVILLE, RALEIGH, GREENVILLE
IN GREENSBORO AIRPORTS.
IF YOU HAVE A FLIGHT THAT MIGHT
BE AFFECTED YOU MAY REBOOK
WITHOUT A CHANGE FEE.
THAT IS KEY.
YOU MAY RESCHEDULE ONLINE
INSIDE THE AIRLINE APP ARE
CALLING ITSELF.
>>> CLEVELAND COUNTY WILL ALSO
BE HIT HARD.
>> NBC CHARLOTTE CHARLOTTE --
SAVANNAH LEVINS IS JOINING US.
WHAT ARE THE CONDITIONS IN
SHALL BE?>> Reporter: SHELBY IT
JUST STARTED SNOWING AND IT'S A
CONSISTENT RATHER PEACEFUL
SNOW.
IT STARTED AS A I SEE -- ICY
RAIN AND IT LOOKS LIKE EVERYONE
HAS STAYED INSIDE.
WE HAVE NOT SEEN A LOT OF CARS
OUT OTHER THAN A SNOW PLOW,
WHICH BEING FROM GEORGIA YOU
DON'T SEE VERY OFTEN IN
CAROLINA.
THERE WERE UTILITY TRUCKS AND
POLICE BUT YOU CAN SEE IT
HASN'T STARTED STICKING ON THE
GROUND.
THAT COULD CHANGE SOON.
YOU SEE THE SNOW IS COMING DOWN
PRETTY HARD RIGHT NOW IN
SHELBY.
WE WILL WATCH THE CONDITIONS
THROUGH TOMORROW AND KEEP YOU
UP TO