It came later than expected, but an ice storm reached Charlotte overnight, leaving the city under a frosting of ice that continued to grow through the day Sunday, forecasters say.
The Charlotte area has a 100% chance of precipitation Sunday and more than a quarter of an inch of ice is expected to accumulate on surfaces. The high Sunday will be 30 degrees and the low will be in the upper 20s, forecasters say. By 1 p.m., the windchill hovered around 10 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
The freezing rain is expected to continue through the day on Sunday, resulting in nearly a half an inch of ice accumulation, the National Weather Service says. NWS image
On Saturday, President Donald Trump approved Gov. Josh Stein’s request for an emergency declaration. The approval unlocks federal resources for North Carolina to use in storm recovery efforts like additional generators for hospitals, support for sheltering operations and emergency fuel, food and water.
“Freezing rain today and bitter cold in the coming days will continue to bring dangerous road conditions and power outages,” Stein said in a Sunday morning news conference. “Be sure to have a plan for if your power goes out, and please stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary.”
As of 1:20 p.m., over 1,100 flights had been cancelled at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
The storm’s “slow start” means an expected warmup has also been delayed, forecasters say. “Freezing rain and freezing drizzle is ongoing across much of the area, with icy road conditions already developing,” the National Weather Service reported.
“Radar trends upstream indicate that both the coverage and intensity of freezing rain will gradually increase overnight, which may lead to worsening travel conditions.”
North Carolina Department of Transportation officials announced late Sunday morning that most roads across Mecklenburg, Anson, Cabarrus, Stanly and Union counties were “partially or completely covered in ice.” They encouraged residents to avoid travel if possible.
Bernese Mountain dogs Wallace, left and Hanks, right, turn to watch their owner Colleen Tunis catch up with them as they enjoy an early morning walk along a snow covered street in Lake Park Village in Indian Trail, NC on Sunday, January 25, 2026. The Charlotte area received a wintry mix of ice, freezing rain and light snow. JEFF SINER [email protected]
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools will be closed on Monday, the district announced Sunday morning, noting that it will “continue monitoring National Weather Service updates and keep families informed of any district or school schedule changes.”
Other area districts have also started announcing closures.
Rain and sleet moved into the area overnight creating a thin wintry blanket over NoDa in Charlotte early Sunday morning on January 25, 2026. Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez [email protected]
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Emergency Management has opened a storm shelter Saturday night at Grady Cole Recreation Center (310 N Kings Drive) in coordination with the Red Cross. The shelter is for people concerned about power outages.
Winter storm power outages across Charlotte and NC
Power outages remain a concern as the ice continues to accumulate.
Duke Energy reported around 300 homes in the Charlotte area were without electricity Sunday afternoon. Many of those homes were in the University City area, with some pockets in east and west Charlotte.
Across the state, more than 16,000 homes were without power at 1:25 p.m. Sunday, including nearly 9,200 people in Transylvania County, ReadyNC.gov reported. Mecklenburg County had 202 homes without power.
WCNC meteorologist Brad Panovich said people should be particularly attentive to an incoming batch of ice and freezing rain between 4 and 8 p.m. Panovich referenced storm damage Nashville, Tennessee, and said the same line of weather could bring thunderstorms with freezing rain to the Charlotte area.
“They got absolutely clobbered, and that line of ice is heading our way,” Panovich said in a Facebook video.
With temperatures in the high teens and low 20s, Panovich said he expects heavy freezing rain this evening once the line of storms gets here.
“It could even be thunder ice, which is crazy to say. I said that earlier, and I was like ‘I can’t believe that’s even coming out of my mouth.’ But that’s what we could see,” Panovich said. “And that potential thunder ice could drop a quarter to a half an inch of ice in a few hours. So, the power threat going out is not over.”
Rain and sleet that moved into the area overnight creates a thin wintry blanket over Uptown Charlotte early Sunday morning on January 25, 2026. Khadejeh Nikouyeh [email protected]
The storm is expected to have a “crippling” result on the region, the National Weather Service says.
“Widespread power outages and extremely difficult to impossible travel conditions are expected to linger through at least the early part of the work week,” forecasters reported early Sunday.
Rain and sleet moved into the area overnight creating a thin wintry blanket over NoDa in Charlotte early Sunday morning on January 25, 2026. Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez [email protected] Rain and sleet moved into the area overnight creating a thin wintry blanket over NoDa in Charlotte early Sunday morning on January 25, 2026. Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez [email protected]
This story was originally published January 25, 2026 at 5:08 AM.
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Mark Price
The Charlotte Observer
Mark Price is a National Reporter for McClatchy News. He joined the network of newspapers in 1991 at The Charlotte Observer, covering beats including schools, crime, immigration, LGBTQ issues, homelessness and nonprofits. He graduated from the University of Memphis with majors in journalism and art history, and a minor in geology.
