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Thousands of power outages after winter storm brings ice, sleet to NC mountains

The mountain communities woke up to a layer of ice and sleet from a winter storm while the Charlotte area is preparing for flooding due to heavy rain that's expected all day Thursday.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Crews are working to restore power to thousands of people in the North Carolina mountains following a winter storm that brought freezing rain, ice, and sleet to the Carolinas Wednesday and Thursday.

First Warn meteorologist Chris Mulcahy said the Boone area received around one-tenth of an inch of ice overnight. Fortunately for Boone, Mulcahy said the freezing rain and sleet switched over to just a cold rain.

"In Watauga County, we're mainly looking at a softening ice situation, about a tenth of an inch to a quarter of an inch, that's a nuisance," Mulcahy said.

In Avery County, some areas reported close to a half-inch of ice accumulation. That could lead to widespread power outages due to downed tree limbs and power lines. Mulcahy warned that bridges and overpasses could also be slick with temperatures hovering around the freezing mark.

"We're lucky this isn't December. If it was a little bit cooler and we gave the ground more time to cool down, that would allow for a lot more ice," Mulcahy said. "This could be a lot worse than it is but it's still not great."

As of 4 p.m. Thursday, Blue Ridge Energy said more than 5,000 customers were without power due to the storm. Most of the outages were caused by downed trees and fallen lines due to gusty winds and ice accumulation. The majority of the outages were in Ashe County.

As for the rest of the Piedmont, there are flood warnings and watches in effect because the same storm system is dumping heavy rain on the already saturated ground. Thursday's highs will only be around 40 degrees for most of the area.

If you live south or east of the mountains, chief meteorologist Brad Panovich said be prepared for possible flooding.

"The flood threat is real because of Monday's rain," he said. "An additional one, two or three inches, and flooding could be a concern across the Piedmont. The mountains will go from sleet to ice to rain back to snow but as for anyone east of the mountains, it's all rain."

Things are expected to be much better in time for the weekend. Expect sunny skies on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday with highs in the mid-50s before a slight Sunday cooldown with afternoon highs in near 50 degrees.

For the latest weather alerts, notifications and your First Warn Forecast, download the NBC Charlotte mobile app today.

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