North Carolina
Ice expected Sunday, Jan. 25, as storm moves across Western NC. Live updates
Ice and snow to shut down travel into Monday
In today’s Forecast Feed, Bernie Rayno takes a look at a weekend winter storm set to impact much of the United States.
Millions across the United States and in North Carolina are being battered by a massive winter storm that has encased many in ice and snow.
And while Saturday, Jan. 24, had some flurries and sleet during the day, the brunt of the storm hit communities in Western North Carolina later in the evening and into the early morning hours of Sunday. Jan. 25. The ever-changing nature of the storm has many anticipating mass power outages as in the mountains and into the Foothills and Piedmont of North Carolina.
And if the winter precipitation wasn’t enough, extreme cold is nipping at the heels of this storm.
“Take this storm seriously, folks,” the National Weather Service warned in statements on social media. “The cold can be deadly.”
Dozens of groups, businesses and even schools have announced closures for Jan. 25 and into Monday, Jan. 26, due to the weather.
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.
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Where is the storm now? North Carolin weather radar
The massive storm continues to move northeast, bringing predicted inches of snow to the Mid-Atlantic region, while continuing to dump a mix of wintry precipitation in the Carolinas.
Take a look at the radar below to see how the storm is moving on Sunday, Jan. 25.
Two day forecast: Monday, Jan. 26, forecast promises even colder weather
As we head into Sunday, Jan. 25, there is a 100% chance of precipitation in the Asheville area and a majority of Western North Carolina communities.
And it’s not going to be the fluffy white stuff.
Here’s the National Weather Service’s forecast for the next two days as of 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 24.
Sunday, Jan. 24: Freezing rain before 1 p.m., then rain. Patchy fog. High near 41. Southeast wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New ice accumulation of a tenth to a third of an inch possible.
Sunday night, Jan. 24: Rain likely, mainly before 9 p.m. Patchy fog before midnight. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 16. Northeast wind 6 to 11 mph becoming north northwest 12 to 17 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 31 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and a quarter of an inch possible.
Monday, Jan. 26: Mostly sunny, with a high near 24. Wind chill values as low as zero. Blustery, with a northwest wind 18 to 22 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph.
Monday night, Jan. 26: Mostly clear, with a low around 3. Blustery, with a northwest wind 10 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 38 mph.
Trump approves Emergency Declaration for North Carolina on Saturday, Jan. 24
President Donald Trump approved Gov. Josh Stein’s request for an Emergency Declaration ahead of the winter storm, Stein said in a Jan. 24 news conference. Stein sent the request the night of Jan. 23 and received confirmation the morning of Jan. 24, according to his office.
The Emergency Declaration will enable the state to access federal assets to deploy additional generators to critical facilities like hospitals; support sheltering operations; provide emergency food, water, and fuel; and receive support from the U.S. Forest Service to remove downed trees, the Governor’s Office said in a Jan. 24 news release.
Once the weekend’s winter storm arrives, “significant and widespread power outages” are expected across the state, the release said.
According to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services data, approximately 99,000 of the state’s 2.2 million Medicare recipients are considered medically at risk and dependent on electricity for life-sustaining equipment.
“These power outages, coupled with impassable roads and impaired emergency communications, are likely to result in heightened exposure to cold, increased traffic-related incidents, and delayed or inaccessible emergency medical services,” the release said.
-Ryley Ober
Storm closings happening in Western NC
Closures are already occurring ahead of the brunt of this winter storm.
Buncombe County has preemptively closed all administrative offices, parks, libraries, and the landfill and transfer station for Monday, Jan. 26.
Find out about other closures below.
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
2026 primary turnout report released for eastern NC counties; see your county’s numbers
Here are the voter turnout numbers for the 2026 primary election, according to the North Carolina State Board of Elections.
Hyde County had the highest voter turnout, while Onslow County had the lowest turnout. Check out what the voter turnout in your county was below:
BERTIE COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
31.85% (3,911 out of 12,280)
CARTERET COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
29.06% (16,543 out of 56,931)
CRAVEN COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
18.63% (14,119 out of 75,778)
DUPLIN COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
21.93% (6,981 out of 31,832)
EDGECOMBE COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
18.16% (6,428 out of 35,396)
GREENE COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
19.70% (2,147 out of 10,900)
HYDE COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
37.27% (1,123 out of 3,013)
JONES COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
25.91% (1,805 out of 6,966)
LENOIR COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
16.73% (6,251 out of 37,371)
MARTIN COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
17.61% (2,858 out of 16,228)
ONSLOW COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
11.44% (14,816 out of 129,537)
PAMLICO COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
24.03% (2,446 out of 10,180)
PITT COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
15.71% (19,429 out of 123,705)
TYRRELL COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
30.49% (723 out of 2,371)
WASHINGTON COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
28.66% (2,312 out of 8,067)
WAYNE COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
21.49% (16,408 out of 76,358)
North Carolina
Statewide tornado drill has NC schools and workplaces practicing safety
Wednesday, March 4, 2026 6:41PM
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — North Carolina schools and businesses took part in a statewide tornado drill Wednesday morning as part of Severe Weather Awareness Week.
The National Weather Service led the drill at 9:30 a.m., broadcasting it on NOAA Weather Radio and the Emergency Alert System. Schools, workplaces and households across the state were encouraged to join in.
The National Weather Service didn’t issue a follow up alert to mark the end of the drill. Instead, each school or business wrapped up once they felt they had practiced the procedures thoroughly.
Wednesday’s drill also replaced the regular weekly NOAA Weather Radio test.
SEE | New warning for parents amid new ‘fire-breathing’ social media trend
Make sure to download the ABC 11 Mobile App ABC11 North Carolina Apps for Connected TV, Mobile News, Echo
Copyright © 2026 WTVD-TV. All Rights Reserved.
North Carolina
North Carolina Rep. Valerie Foushee holds narrow lead over challenger Nida Allam
Nida Allam in 2022; Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-NC) in 2025.
Jonathan Drake/Reuters; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
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Jonathan Drake/Reuters; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Incumbent Rep. Valerie Foushee holds a narrow lead over challenger Nida Allam in the Democratic primary for North Carolina’s 4th Congressional district as ballots continue to be counted.
In a race seen as an early test of whether Democratic voters desire generational change within the party, Foushee holds a lead of just over 1,000 votes with 99% of results in so far, according to the Associated Press.
Under state law, provisional votes will be counted in the coming days in a district that includes Durham and Chapel Hill. If the election results end up within a 1% margin, Allam could request a recount.
Successfully ousting an incumbent lawmaker is often extremely difficult and rare. However, there have been recent upsets in races as some voters are calling for new leaders and several sitting members of Congress face primary challengers this cycle.
Allam, a 32-year-old Durham County Commissioner, is running to the left of Foushee, 69, framing her candidacy as part of a broader rejection of longtime Democratic norms.
On the campaign trail, Allam ran on an anti-establishment message, pledging to be a stronger fighter than Foushee in Congress, both in standing up against President Trump’s agenda and when pushing for more ambitious policy.
“North Carolina is a purple state that often gets labeled red, but we’re not a red state,” she told NPR in an interview last month, emphasizing the need to address affordability concerns. “We are a state of working-class folks who just want their elected officials to champion the issues that are impacting them.”
She drew a contrast with the congresswoman on immigration, voicing support for abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Foushee has declined to go that far, advocating instead for ICE to be defunded and for broader reforms to the federal immigration system.
Allam also clashed with Foushee over U.S. policy towards Israel. As a vocal opponent of Israel’s war in Gaza, Allam swore off campaign donations from pro-Israel lobbying groups, such as AIPAC, and repeatedly criticized Foushee for previously accepting such funds.
Though Foushee announced last year that she would not accept AIPAC donations this cycle, she and Allam continued to spar over the broader role of outside spending in the race.
Their matchup comes four years after the candidates first squared off in 2022, when Allam lost to Foushee in what became the most expensive primary in the state’s history, with outside groups spending more than $3.8 million.
However, this year is poised to break that record. Outside groups have reported spending more than $4.4 million on the primary matchup, according to Federal Election Commission filings.
WUNC’s Colin Campbell contributed to this report.
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