RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Up to 10 inches of snow and ice are in the forecast for the North Carolina mountains, as a winter storm warning went into effect Saturday night.
In most counties, the warning started at 7 p.m. Saturday and will last until midnight Sunday with up to six inches of snow expected in some lower elevations, according to the National Weather Service.
The heavy snow and high wind gust up to 40 mph could knock down some power lines and trees, forecasters said.
“Travel could be very difficult to impossible,” the weather service warned Saturday.
The warning spans the North Carolina mountains from the South Carolina border to Virginia.
About .20 inches of ice are also expected with the snow. Any ice above .10 inches can cause power outages and slick areas can form on roads and bridges.
“Below-freezing temperatures are expected Sunday night into daybreak Monday,” forecasters said about black ice developing. “Any remaining melted snow or liquid left on the road is likely to refreeze causing hazardous travel.”
The warning area includes Avery, Haywood, Madison, Swain, Buncombe, Graham, Jackson, Macon, Transylvania and Yancey counties.
Amounts of six to 10 inches of snow are possible above 4,000 feet in Ashe, Alleghany and Watauga counties.
Those counties include larger towns and cities such as Asheville, Black Mountain, Boone and Waynesville. All major ski resorts in the North Carolina mountains are also included in the winter storm warning area.
The area of the winter storm warning also includes eastern Tennessee.
“Conditions will be favorable for some banding of precipitation, which could create notable differences in accumulations over short distances, especially when snow is the dominant precip type,” the National Weather Service said.
