CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolinas are hoping to thaw out Monday after a winter storm brought a wintry mix of freezing rain, ice, sleet and snow to the Charlotte region Sunday.
The good news is most of the icy precipitation moved out late Sunday night. The bad news is overnight temperatures dipped below freezing so black ice is a threat on roads across the area. A spokesperson with the Charlotte Department of Transportation said crews will continue to treat roads and have been plowing as needed to keep lanes clear for traffic.
Transportation officials are asking everyone to stay home if possible and avoid travel unless it's absolutely necessary over the threat of black ice.
The Mecklenburg EMS Agency (Medic) confirmed the agency responded to 33 accidents Sunday due to the conditions. Around 12:30 p.m. Monday, Medic said crews had responded to 15 accidents since midnight.
As of 3 p.m. Monday, Duke Energy said its repair crews had restored power to more than 250,000 customers in the Carolinas -- but 16,000 North Carolina customers and 8,000 South Carolina customers were still without power.
