Ice, sleet, freezing rain accumulate over the Carolinas

A massive winter storm system is sweeping across North and South Carolina this weekend and is expected to bring damaging icy conditions to millions of people.

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The Severe Weather Center 9 team is tracking the storm’s progress and our Channel 9 reporters are stationed throughout the Carolinas to see the impacts in real time. This article will be updated throughout the weekend with the latest updates and information you need to know.

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11:20 a.m. – As the area experiences more sleet than freezing rain Sunday morning, the Severe Weather Center 9 team is adjusting the ice accumulation forecast slightly downward.

About half of Charlotte could see less than 0.25″ of ice accumulation, with neighbors north of I-85 likely to see more than 0.25″.

Keep an eye on the WSOC Weather app to see when the freezing rain begins later Sunday.

11:00 a.m. – Remember the CATS delay we told you about? It is now a total suspension for the whole of Sunday. CATS says they plan to resume transit services in Charlotte around 10 a.m. Monday. Express bus service is canceled until Tuesday.

10:40 a.m. – The North Carolina Department of Transportation keeps it simple: Stay off the roads if you don’t have to go anywhere. At a 10:30 a.m. news conference, officials said they have teams in place across the state to respond to icing conditions.

So how much sleet have we received so far? Severe Weather Center 9’s Danielle Miller has been tracking some of the biggest totals outside of Charlotte, including sleet in Mount Holly, Cherryville, Granite Falls and more.

10:15 a.m. – “We’re not done yet,” says Keith Monday of the Severe Weather Center 9. While many of us are waking up to sleet on our yards and roads, there is another round of precipitation that could lead to dangerous freezing rain.

MEDIC said they had responded to nine traffic accident calls since midnight, and all of them arrived before 4 a.m.

We see a tractor-trailer jackknifing on I-485 near WT Harris Boulevard, but it was only partially blocking the highway.

9:25 a.m. – Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools announced classes and school activities were canceled for Monday, joining a growing list of school closures across the state to avoid severe weather.

Keep an eye out for school closures, church cancellations and business closures at this link.

9:15 a.m. – Ice is accumulating on power lines and trees, and we still expect heavy precipitation along the way.

Channel 9’s Joe Bruno traveled to the Pineville area, where crews are working on a broken water main as icy conditions continue to worsen. Nearby, power lines were spotted with a line of icicles beginning to grow.

CATS also announced a delay in bus service and the Blue Line until 12 p.m. Sunday.

9:00 a.m. – Channel 9’s Hunter Sáenz visited Union County and saw heavier coverage of white ice and snow flurries, as well as slippery conditions on eastbound Independence Boulevard.

8:00 a.m. – As we looked at road conditions in the area, we saw a familiar sight from Gastonia to Charlotte to Statesville to South Carolina: ice everywhere.

See photos of road conditions at sunrise:

7:45 a.m. – Here’s your timeline for what to expect throughout the day Sunday: This round of heavier precipitation is expected between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., and that’s after hours of freezing rain and sleet.

7:10 a.m. – Severe Weather Center 9 tracks temperatures as daylight breaks over the Carolinas, but the wind chill was frigid as the sun rose.

6:30 a.m. – Sleet and freezing rain fell Sunday morning and many roads were covered in a layer of white ice. Channel 9 spotted transportation crews laying salt and plowing roads all morning.

However, travel is discouraged all day: The North Carolina State Highway Patrol reported 207 crashes statewide as of 6 a.m., and that number will continue to climb.

A more consistent batch of freezing rain will develop Sunday afternoon, and this latest burst could push storm ice totals to a half-inch or more. This is when we could start to see even more power outages.

In Pineville, police had to close a section of Highway 51 due to a water main break during the ice storm.

5:30 a.m. – Some areas have already accumulated a tenth of an inch of ice, and this will continue as we transition to freezing rain throughout the day. Travel is not recommended throughout the day.

Currently, Duke Energy is reporting a total of 69 active outages statewide, affecting approximately 2,300 customers.

ICE STORM FORECAST: Accumulation begins as freezing rain and sleet

Overnight and Sunday morning: Freezing rain will continue to accumulate overnight, creating dangerous conditions for area roads and power lines. Check out the latest update from Chief Meteorologist John Ahrens below and watch Eyewitness News on Channel 9 starting at 4 a.m. Sunday for continued coverage.

11:00 p.m. – If you’re reading this and are about to drive: don’t.

Roads are starting to freeze in the Charlotte area and parts of I-77 in Iredell County were covered in ice.

10:15 p.m. – Another storm-related power outage was reported in south Charlotte. You can find out how to report power outages and downed trees near you at this link.

CHECK IT OUT >> Crews respond to trees on power lines in east Charlotte

9:45 p.m. – Charlotte Douglas International Airport is reporting freezing rain and hundreds of flights departing from the airport were canceled Saturday.

A few small power outages were reported due to storm damage, affecting just over 100 customers in the Charlotte area, but Duke Energy says repair crews are waiting for conditions to improve.

RELATED >> Flight cancellations skyrocket as storm disrupts travel plans across North Carolina and country

9:00 p.m. – Sleet is already falling north of Charlotte, with drivers along Interstate 77 seeing a swirl of precipitation on roads near Mooresville.

8:45 p.m. – Reports are coming in that freezing rain is starting to spread across the area. We’re also tracking the response to falling branches in east Charlotte.

8:05 p.m. – Temperatures in the Charlotte area are below freezing, so the stage is set for precipitation to freeze on the roads.

7:30 p.m. – We’re starting to see sleet in the area – the first sign that things are getting worse overnight! This sleet will turn to freezing rain overnight and will fall at a light rate throughout Sunday morning.

After that, it will come towards us in waves – each amount of rain freezing as it contacts the ground. This will cause significant travel problems through Sunday.

Ice accumulations will build up over time, reaching approximately 0.5″ in the Charlotte area. Slightly higher amounts will be possible towards the North. This ice will begin to weigh down trees and lines Sunday evening and increase the threat of power outages through Monday morning.

Channel 9’s Jonathan Lowe was driving north on Interstate 85 toward Concord and saw ice starting to freeze on windshields.

Road temperatures were already below freezing by 6 p.m., when Channel 9’s Joe Puma discovered an overpass had an asphalt temperature below 20 degrees.

Street temperatures drop as Charlotte ice storm approaches

7 p.m. – School cancellations start coming in Monday. Gaston County Schools and Burke County Schools announced their full closure for Monday.

In the event of a power outage, stay informed with the WSOC mobile apps.

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(VIDEO: Flight cancellations skyrocket as storm disrupts travel plans across North Carolina and country)