Winter Storm Watch Issued for Statesville Area; City Crews Prepare for Hazardous Conditions

STATESVILLE, N.C. — The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for much of western North Carolina, including the Statesville area. The watch is in effect from Saturday morning through Monday afternoon.

Forecasters say heavy mixed precipitation is possible, including snow, sleet, and freezing rain. Snow and sleet accumulations of 1 to 6 inches are possible, along with ice accumulations ranging from 0.4 to 1 inch. Higher snow totals are possible north of Interstate 40, while higher ice accumulations are expected in southern and western mountain regions.

The storm could bring significant impacts, including hazardous travel, downed trees, and widespread power outages that may last several days. Conditions could also affect the Monday morning commute. Forecast details may continue to change as the system develops.

In preparation, City of Statesville departments say they are ready and positioned to respond. Street crews have snowplows and equipment prepared, electric crews have trucks, contractors, and supplies ready to respond to outages, and fire and police departments have incident action plans in place. City officials say departments are coordinating to ensure a unified response throughout the event.

Residents are encouraged to complete preparations by Friday evening and consider delaying all travel beginning Saturday morning. Officials recommend staying informed through local media, the National Weather Service, and City of Statesville communication channels.

City officials also urge residents to prepare for possible power outages by having enough food, water, medications, and supplies for several days. Downed power lines should be reported to 911 immediately, while non-emergency downed trees can be reported to the city at 704-878-3406. Power outages can be reported at 704-878-3479.

Additional updates will be shared as conditions evolve.