North Carolina
Live: Winter storm creeps into Asheville, Western NC with snow, ice
Winter storm prep: Asheville Water Department
Clay Chandler, City of Asheville Water Resources Department spokesperson, gives a winter storm preparedness briefing Jan. 22, 2026, in Asheville.
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.
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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