A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM EST SATURDAY.
A MIXTURE OF RAIN… SNOW AND SLEET IS EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY TURN INTO FREEZING RAIN FROM SOUTH TO NORTH ACROSS THE WARNED AREA AFTER SUNRISE. NEW SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL RANGE FROM A QUARTER OF AN INCH TO A HALF INCH ALONG THE US 74 CORRIDOR TO AROUND 2 INCHES NORTH OF I-40. A DAMAGING ACCUMULATION OF ICE… PERHAPS AS HIGH AS ONE HALF INCH… IS EXPECTED AS WELL… ESPECIALLY ALONG THE BLUE RIDGE ESCARPMENT… AND POSSIBLY WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGES IN AREAS FROM BLACK MOUNTAIN AND LAKE LURE DOWN TO SALUDA.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW… SLEET… AND ICE ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. THE COMBINATION OF HEAVY ICE ACCUMULATION… GUSTY NORTHEAST WINDS… AND A SATURATED GROUND FROM THE RECENT WET PERIOD WILL LIKELY CAUSE A NUMBER OF TREES TO FALL… RESULTING IN SCATTERED TO WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGES.