Temperatures are dropping and a winter storm of massive proportions bears down on Western North Carolina on Saturday, Jan 24.

Millions in North Carolina and across the United States are hunkering down for a storm that’s it expected to hit areas with snow, sleet, freezing rain and ice, that could cause mass power outages.

“Take this storm seriously, folks,” the National Weather Service warned in statements on social media. “The cold can be deadly.”

The National Weather Service issued an ice storm warning for Asheville and Western North Carolina starting today, Saturday, Jan. 24, at 1 p.m. through Monday, Jan. 26, at 1 p.m. Latest predictions have the storm will bring inches of snow, sleet and rain to Asheville and communities across the North Carolina mountains.

You can keep up to date with what is happening in the Asheville area and Western North Carolina below.

The National Weather Service predicts that the Asheville area will start seeing snow and sleet before noon on Saturday, Jan. 24. The mountains will have a chance of snow until about 5 p.m., before sleet begins to fall once again after 5 p.m. Little to no accumulation is expected as of the 7 a.m. forecast.

For those closer to the North Carolina/Tennessee border, they may see snow a bit earlier.

“Light snow will be possible in the vicinity of Smokies this morning, with a light dusting possible,” read the forecast discussion.

North Carolina under a state of emergency

The western edge of the Tar Heel State is getting its first taste of a storm that is expected to engulf much of the state in snow and ice over the weekend, Jan. 24-25. The dire forecast prompted North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein to issue a state of emergency days ahead of the storm’s arrival.

North Carolina winter storm outlook: Ice storm warning in effect for region

The National Weather Service issued an ice storm warning on Friday, Jan. 23, that will go from 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 24, through 1 p.m. Monday, Jan. 26.

The storm is expected to hit Western North Carolina on Saturday, Jan. 24, bringing hazardous conditions in the form of snow, sleet, freezing rain and ice. Days of freezing temperatures following the storm may prolong the hazards, making for a risky Monday, Jan. 26, morning commute in the region.

Power outage concerns grow as ice accumulation predictions grow

“We expect this to be a major winter storm across the entire forecast area with ice being the main precipitation type across most of the region, leading to hazardous travel and power outages that may last for days,” read the forecast discussion from the National Weather Service.

Asheville and North Carolina emergency management crews have been preparing for such possibilities ahead of the storm’s arrival.

Ryan Cole, the assistant director of Buncombe County Emergency Services, said the forecast has shifted “significantly” and is now “more perilous” with the anticipated ice accumulation. The majority of the county is expected to see one-quarter to a half inch of ice, with some areas expected to get upwards of three-quarters of an inch, Cole said. “Isolated pockets” could see a full inch, he said.

While that might sound like small measurements, Cole said anytime over a quarter-inch of ice accumulates, there is a “significant threat” of downed power lines, trees and hazardous roadways.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina had built momentum with a strong start to the season before an abrupt four-game downturn, one notably marked by a complete inability to defend the arc.

The 22nd-ranked Tar Heels don’t have a lot of time to fix problems, either, not with the Atlantic Coast Conference schedule about to get tougher.

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UNC visits No. 14 Virginia on Saturday, its first matchup against a ranked league opponent and one of six games ahead currently ranked as a Quadrant 1 matchup that tops a postseason résumé for March Madness. That trip to face the Cavaliers comes a week after UNC closed an 0-2 cross-country trip to play Stanford and California, two games that highlighted some of the defensive struggles of late.

“The No. 1 thing from last week for us was, there were multiple possessions where we were making mistakes in back-to-back possessions,” coach Hubert Davis said after Wednesday’s win over Notre Dame. “We would turn the ball over, not get back on defense, give up a 3. We would get to the free throw line, miss two free throws, come down, give an and-1.

“I felt like last week, we were letting one play affect us on the other end to the next play.”

Defensive troubles

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The Tar Heels (15-4, 3-3) have shown promise. There was a rousing early win against Kansas and potential No. 1 NBA draft pick Darryn Peterson. There was a win at Kentucky without senior and top defender Seth Trimble.

And after beating Florida State to open ACC play, the Tar Heels had their first 13-1 start since the 2008-09 season.

Yet trouble soon emerged.

First came a loss at SMU in which the Mustangs shot 60% — including 20 of 28 for 71.4% after halftime — and nearly scored 100 points. The Tar Heels followed in a white-knuckle final few minutes to edge Wake Forest in a high-scoring meeting.

Then came the trip out west. First the Tar Heels squandered a double-digit, second-half lead while watching Cardinal freshman Ebuka Okorie go for a season-high 36 points in a 95-90 loss. Three days later, the Golden Bears shot nearly 56% and hit 10 3-pointers to build a 17-point halftime lead then held off UNC’s frantic comeback.

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By the time the Tar Heels faced Notre Dame, UNC had allowed five ACC opponents to make 70 of 156 3-pointers for an average of 14 made per game. That 44.9% success rate was worse than all but three of 365 Division I teams (North Dakota, Coppin State and Louisiana-Lafayette) in that same span, according to SportRadar.

The Fighting Irish managed to shoot well from outside early in Wednesday’s game, but Notre Dame went just 2 of 13 on 3s after halftime and finished the game at 8 for 25 (32%).

The trick now is turning that into more than just a one-game bump.

“It kind of helped us get back in the zone … and kind of build everybody’s confidence,” big man Henri Veesaar said afterward. “I think today everybody was a little bit nervous before the game even, I could say, because we had just lost two and we were like, ‘What are we doing wrong?’”

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Making corrections

Alabama transfer Jarin Stevenson said multiple things were emphasized defensively in recent film sessions. He mentioned defensive communication while handling pick-and-roll plays to avoid getting dragged down lower into the paint. There was doing a better job in closing out on shooters or pressuring the ball on the perimeter, with a goal of “just making the offense uncomfortable.”

That wasn’t much of a problem against the Fighting Irish, who have struggled badly since leading scorer Markus Burton was lost to left-ankle surgery in early December. But future opponents won’t be nearly as limited; Virginia, for example, ranks 17th in both adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency in KenPom’s analytics rankings.

Freshman star Caleb Wilson felt there was at least one takeaway from the Notre Dame win: The Tar Heels made a determined effort to turn the game into a blowout, then did so in a 91-69 win.

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“It’s more about pride with us now,” Wilson said. “Our coach can say whatever you want. I hate the people that try to blame Hubert for our lapses. But our coach is teaching us the right thing.

“It’s all about our effort and us playing as hard as we can. Coach can only do so much. We’re the ones out there playing.”

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A North Carolina teenager admitted to killing five people, including his older brother and a police officer, in a 2022 mass shooting in the state’s capital, days before he was scheduled to face trial next month.

Austin David Thompson, now 18, pleaded guilty to five counts of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted first-degree murder, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, and one count of assault of an officer with a gun, court records show. The guilty plea came a day after Thompson’s attorneys filed a written notice of intent in Wake County court.

“After lengthy discussions with his attorneys about how a trial would proceed, he has decided he wishes to save the community and the victims from as much additional infliction of trauma as possible,” attorneys Kellie Mannette and Deonte’ Thomas wrote in the notice.

In October 2022, Thompson went on a shooting spree in a residential neighborhood of Raleigh, North Carolina, before opening fire again along a walking trail, authorities said. Five people were killed, and two others were injured in the attack.

Thompson had been scheduled to go to trial for the murders in February. A judge set a sentencing hearing, which is expected to take several days, on Feb. 2, according to court records.

Since Thompson was 15 years old at the time of the shooting, he is not eligible for the death penalty. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole.

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What happened in the 2022 Raleigh shooting?

The hourslong shooting unfolded on Oct. 13, 2022, in a residential area northeast of downtown Raleigh, according to authorities. The shooting began at around 5 p.m. local time near the Neuse River Greenway Trail, a trail that runs through part of the city.

Thompson first fatally shot and stabbed his brother in their home before shooting four other people on the streets of Raleigh’s Hedingham neighborhood, authorities said. He then fled toward a nearby walking trail, where he shot at two more people.

Thompson eluded law enforcement for hours — setting off a manhunt across a crime scene that stretched for 2 miles — before he was cornered in a shed, according to authorities. After a standoff, authorities said Thompson was taken into custody with what appeared to be a self-inflicted shot to the head and was in critical condition.

What we know: An Indiana judge and his wife were shot in their home.

“While the serious brain injury he suffered has made it such that Austin cannot explain why he committed this shooting, he has always accepted that he did this,” Thompson’s attorneys wrote in his notice of intent. “He recognizes the deep pain he has caused the victims’ families as well as his own family.”

The victims killed were identified as Thompson’s brother, James Roger Thompson, 16; Raleigh police Officer Gabriel Torres, 29; Nicole Connors, 52; Mary Marshall, 34; and Susan Karnatz, 49. Torres was heading to work when the shooting occurred, authorities said.

Two people were injured, including another police officer and a 59-year-old woman, according to authorities.

In 2024, Thompson’s father pleaded guilty to improperly storing a handgun that authorities said Thompson used in the shootings, CBS 17 and ABC 11 reported at the time. He received a suspended sentence and probation.

Contributing: Jeanine Santucci and Claire Thornton, USA TODAY