North Carolina
Snow in Asheville, Western NC: see highest totals, where more is expected, week’s forecast
ASHEVILLE – Many mountain school systems have closed, and some city services have been delayed or suspended in Asheville, as snow descended in much of Western North Carolina early in the morning Dec. 2.
By 7 a.m., the Asheville Regional Airport received a measurable snowfall of 0.1 inches, breaking a “snow drought” for a city that’s only received trace amounts so far this winter, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Andrew Kimball.
City and weather officials warned of the possibility of black ice, especially as temperatures drop this evening, Dec. 2. Asheville street teams have been on the roads since early morning hours, gritting streets, a news release said. They witnessed several accidents caused by black ice and asked the community to drive with caution, especially those in high elevations.
Here’s what NWS is saying about winter weather across the mountains, as well as this week’s temperatures in the teens.
How much snow fell in the area, and which places got the most snow?
Surrounding Asheville, most of Buncombe County saw a trace to a half inch of snow through 7 a.m., according to Kimball. Just south, Henderson County had a few trace reports of snow.
Other areas across WNC received much more, up to several inches:
- Vance Gap got roughly 6 inches.
- High elevations across the Smoky Mountains up through Avery County received 2 to 4 inches.
- A report near Beech Mountain clocked 3.5 inches.
- Mitchell had a report of 3.1 inches.
- Yancey County varied from 1.5 to 2.5 inches.
“It’s quite variable along the Tennessee border where we had that upslope flow,” Kimball said.
“There’s one site up near Wolf Laurel in Madison County that they often get the highest totals it seems like in these events. It had over 8 inches of snow total so far – that’s the highest report we’ve gotten.”
Is more snow expected?
Snow totals may increase when gauges update data later in the day, due to some continued snowfall after 7 a.m. However, very little, if any, snow accumulations are expected through the rest of the day Dec. 3, Kimball said.
“Things are really tapering off,” Kimball said. “Most of what’s falling now, it looks like it’s just flurries.”
Another cold front is expected to move through the region on Thursday, Dec. 5, but it won’t bring much moisture with it, according to Kimball.
“There could be some snow showers late Wednesday night into Thursday morning,” Kimball said, adding that it’s expected strictly near the Tennessee border.
“We’re only forecasting mainly just a dusting or so across those highest elevations.”
Asheville, most likely, won’t see any snow as the week continues.
Will the snow stick around today, Dec. 3?
Though it’s hard to say if the snow lining the ground across WNC will stick throughout the day, Kimball said the best way is to “infer from the temperatures.”
In the Asheville area, NWS is expecting highs in the mid-30s, indicating some of the snow will likely melt once the clouds clear out. However, higher elevations “won’t even get above freezing,” Kimball said.
“A lot of it will probably stick though tonight, but we have a decent warm up tomorrow, so a lot of snow will probably melt tomorrow,” Kimball said.
The highest elevations in the region could see the snow linger through the next few days.
NWS issues hazardous weather outlook for Western NC
A hazardous weather outlook was issued by the NWS at 3:46 a.m. Dec. 3 for practically all of WNC, including the following counties:
- Avery
- Madison
- Yancey
- Mitchell
- Swain
- Haywood
- Buncombe
- Catawba
- Graham
- Jackson
- Macon
- Transylvania
- Henderson
- McDowell mountains and eastern McDowell
During the day and overnight Dec. 3, the outlook warned of icy roads at higher elevations and in areas that received accumulating snow, including the North Carolina Piedmont. The Piedmont accounts for the central part of the state just east of the Appalachian Mountains.
The outlook also called for cold weather to continue through midweek. A hard freeze is likely each morning through Wed., Dec. 4.
Temperatures in the teens to come this week: December begins below normal
After a warm November – sitting at five degrees above normal for the month – December started “quite a bit below normal.”
“And we’re expecting below normal temperatures through the next few days,” Kimball added.
Overnight Dec. 3, Asheville is forecasted to drop to 18 degrees, with areas across the mountains expected to make it close to 10 degrees Fahrenheit, according to Kimball. The high on Dec. 4 should get up near 50 degrees before dropping to around freezing Wednesday night.
As a cold front moves through in the morning Dec. 5, Asheville’s temperatures will be in the low 40s on Thursday and “then back in the teens on Thursday night,” Kimball said. The low in Asheville overnight Dec. 5 is forecasted to reach 17 degrees.
Weather impacts to Asheville services
The winter weather has not only closed some school systems, but also impacted some city of Asheville services, including:
- Asheville Rapid Transit: ART is currently suspending service. Teams will continue to assess road conditions with the aim of resuming service today (Dec. 3) as soon as road conditions are safe.
- All services are currently delayed until road conditions improve.
- Childcare sites open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.: Tempie Avery Montford Community Center for Asheville City Schools students and Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center for Buncombe County Schools students.
Some community centers have closed, others are operating during adjusted hours with cancelled programs and athletics. Check the full list here: https://www.ashevillenc.gov/news/weather-impacts-to-city-of-asheville-services/
Ryley Ober is the Public Safety Reporter for Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. She is a graduate of Indiana University and was the Citizen Times Summer News Reporting Intern in 2022. Email her at rober@gannett.com and follow her on Twitter @ryleyober
The NC Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Wednesday, July 8, 2026 results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from July 8 drawing
12-29-37-43-55, Powerball: 18, Power Play: 4
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from July 8 drawing
Day: 2-9-0, Fireball: 5
Evening: 7-9-6, Fireball: 6
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from July 8 drawing
Day: 8-9-6-6, Fireball: 6
Evening: 3-4-8-5, Fireball: 4
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 5 numbers from July 8 drawing
07-13-19-23-33
Check Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Double Play numbers from July 8 drawing
01-03-14-18-32
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from July 8 drawing
16-18-43-48-50, Bonus: 01
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All North Carolina Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $599.
For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at North Carolina Lottery Offices. By mail, send a prize claim form, your signed lottery ticket, copies of a government-issued photo ID and social security card to: North Carolina Education Lottery, P.O. Box 41606, Raleigh, NC 27629. Prize claims less than $600 do not require copies of photo ID or a social security card.
To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a prize claim form and deliver the form, along with your signed lottery ticket and government-issued photo ID and social security card to any of these locations:
- Asheville Regional Office & Claim Center: 16-G Regent Park Blvd., Asheville, NC 28806, 877-625-6886 press #1. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
- Greensboro Regional Office & Claim Center: 20A Oak Branch Drive, Greensboro, NC 27407, 877-625-6886 press #2. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
- Charlotte Regional Office & Claim Center: 5029-A West W. T. Harris Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28269-1861, 877-625-6886 press #3. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
- NC Lottery Headquarters: Raleigh Claim Center & Regional Office, 2728 Capital Blvd., Suite 144, Raleigh, NC 27604, 877-625-6886 press #4. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
- Greenville Regional Office & Claim Center: 2790 Dickinson Avenue, Suite A, Greenville, NC 27834, 877-625-6886 press #5. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
- Wilmington Regional Office & Claim Center: 123 North Cardinal Drive Extension, Suite 140, Wilmington, NC 28405, 877-625-6886 press #6. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at https://nclottery.com/.
When are the North Carolina Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 11 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky for Life: 10:38 p.m. daily.
- Pick 3, 4: 3:00 p.m. and 11:22 p.m. daily.
- Cash 5: 11:22 p.m. daily.
- Millionaire for Life: 11:15 p.m. daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Carolina Connect editor. You can send feedback using this form.
North Carolina
Damaged Flock camera in North Carolina town sparks online debate over surveillance tech
RUTHERFORDTON, N.C. (WLOS) — A damaged Flock Safety camera in Rutherfordton has reignited debate over the use of license plate reader technology, with thousands weighing in online after police shared a photo of the vandalized device.
The Rutherfordton Police Department posted an image of the damaged camera on social media, where the post quickly gained more than 20,000 comments. While some users condemned the vandalism, others praised the person responsible, with comments including “Not all heroes wear capes” and “Give them a medal.”
Local law enforcement officials said there is too much misinformation online about the cameras.
FLOCK CAMERA DAMAGED IN NORTH CAROLINA TOWN, PROMPTING POLICE STATEMENT
“We’re seeing a lot of misconceptions that these cameras collect more data than they actually do,” said Capt. Ryan Bailey with the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office. “The camera itself is only capturing the vehicle traveling down the road.”
Bailey said Flock cameras do not record video. Instead, they take still images of passing vehicles and capture license plate information. According to the sheriff’s office, those images are automatically deleted after 30 days.
The department also says safeguards are in place to prevent misuse of the system. Deputies are required to enter a case number before searching the database, allowing administrators to audit searches and ensure the technology is being used appropriately.
JULY 8, 2026 – A Flock camera in Rutherford County, North Carolina. (Photo: WLOS Staff)
Despite those protections, opinions among residents remain divided.
“I don’t like that idea at all because of the over-abundance of electronics and interference in our privacy,” Rutherfordton resident Rachel Alexander said.
Others believe the cameras are a valuable investigative tool.
“I have no really negative opinion with them. I think they’re really helpful, especially with criminals and children abductions,” said local homeowner Phyllis Irvine.
POLL: WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT FLOCK CAMERAS?
The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office says the cameras have also proven useful in locating vulnerable people, including those with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia or other cognitive disabilities who may have gone missing while driving.
Officials say the technology has become an important resource for investigations and emergency response across the county.
Flock cameras cost about $3,500 each. Law enforcement officials say anyone caught intentionally damaging one could face charges.
North Carolina
North Carolina Republican operative shaping the state’s early voting plans is reassigned
North Carolina state Auditor Dave Boliek has reassigned a staffer working on state election preparations following reporting illustrating how the longtime Republican operative was using his position to shape county’s early voting plans.
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