News

Southern Henderson County could get almost an inch of ice; city imposes curfew

By Lightning Reports, Published: January 20, 2026

Updates from the National Weather Service show Hendersonville with the highest chance of any Western North Carolina city of getting a quarter inch of ice or more from the coming weather system. Southern Henderson County is in a purple zone, meaning it could get three-quarters of an inch of ice, potentially resulting in downed trees and utility lines and widespread power outages.

The forecast calls for freezing rain and sleet; any snow accumulation would be less than an inch, the NWS said. In its mid-afternoon update on Saturday the National Weather Service predicted:

• Significant ice accumulation on power lines and tree limbs, causing widespread and long-lasting power outages.
• Treacherous, likely impassable ice and sleet covered roads lasting into the early next week.

The briefing also advised people to consider delaying travel until road conditions improve.

The storm, forecasters said, is likely to bring "significant icing, in addition to compacted sleet, expected, total sleet and snow accumulations up to two inches and ice accumulations between one half and one inch (and) winds gusting as high as 35 mph."

In other updates:

• A state of emergency for Henderson County began at 8 a.m., Saturday. Henderson County Board of Commissioners Chairman William G. Lapsley declared the state of emergency based on the predicted effects of a winter storm approaching the county over the weekend. The State of Emergency will continue until emergency service officials advise otherwise. The mayors of Hendersonville, Fletcher, Laurel Park, Flat Rock and Mills River also declared states of emergency.

• The city of Hendersonville imposed a curfew from 8 p.m. Saturday to dawn Sunday and after that from dusk to dawn until the emergency is over. Public works crews will be on duty around the clock to clear roads. Advisory: "Emergency personnel recommend residents monitor local weather reports and limit travel before road conditions become dangerous. When roads are unsafe, stay home. Remember to call 911 only for actual emergencies. Do not call 911 or emergency services phone lines to ask about road conditions or power outage updates. You can visit DriveNC.gov or the Duke Energy website for road and power updates. Please leave 911 lines available for true emergencies."

• Henderson County opened an emergency shelter at the county’s Athletics and Activities Center at 708 South Grove St. at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 24. It will remain open until it is safe for residents to return home.
  People going to the shelter are asked to bring essential items if they are able, including medications (and medical devices you rely on), toiletries and personal hygiene items, warm clothing and sturdy shoes, cell phone and charger, important personal items (glasses, hearing aids, etc.). People with pets are asked to bring pet food, medications and a leash or carrier. Emergency shelters are safe places, but they may be crowded, and resources can be limited. Bringing these essentials helps ensure the comfort and continuity of care of the people in the shelter, the county said.

• The Town of Laurel Park warned residents to avoid travel and discouraged parking on roads and cul de sacs so snow plows could clear roadways.
• The National Park Service plans to close parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway. "Based on current forecasts, park visitors can expect closures parkwide beginning the evening of Friday, Jan. 23," the NPS said in a news release. "Park visitors and neighbors should expect closed gates, as well as barricades in ungated sections. Due to the severity of the storm and anticipated widespread impacts, including potential delays in emergency response, winter recreation on the parkway during this storm is strongly discouraged. Closures are expected to remain in place until staff can safely assess road conditions and clear any storm debris."
• The premiere showing of The Chapel Hill Two-Step, a documentary film featuring Hendersonville High School's 1987 and 1992 basketball championships scheduled for Jan. 29, has been cancelled due to the threat of severe weather.  A reschedule date will be announced in the future.
• The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will activate its hotline Saturday, Jan. 24, to connect farmers with resources that can assist with damage and other agricultural emergencies related to the storm. The toll-free number is 1-866-645-9403. A live operator will be available on the hotline Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Monday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The NWS issued an ice storm warning on Friday, upgraded from an earlier winter storm watch, and warned that the mountains could see widespread power outages and extremely hazardous driving conditions.

"Even a quarter inch of ice is associated with widespread power outages, so there is high  confidence power outages will be a public impact," forecasters warned. "Accumulated sleet/snow combined with freezing rain may lead to very thick icing on roadways which is slow to melt, even once temperatures rise."

A forecast map shows Hendersonville with an 89 percent chance of getting a quarter inch of ice or more compared with 73 percent in Asheville, 79 percent in the South Carolina Update and 70 percent in Charlotte. Only Clayton, Georgia, had a higher ice storm risk, at 90 percent.

Expected storm impacts across the region, the warning said, include "significant ice accumulation on power lines and tree limbs, causing widespread and long-lasting power outages, and impassable and treacherous ice- and snow-covered roadways lasting into the beginning of next week." The NWS urged residents to consider delaying all travel until after road conditions improve. Given the deep freeze that's expected to drop lows into single digits on Monday, whatever falls is likely to stay around.

Here's the National Weather Service day-by-day  forecast:

• Friday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 45. Calm wind becoming north around 6 mph in the afternoon.
• Friday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 25. North northwest wind 3 to 7 mph.
• Saturday: A chance of rain and snow before 3pm, then a chance of freezing rain between 3pm and 4pm, then a chance of freezing rain and sleet after 4pm. Cloudy, with a high near 33. East wind 5 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New snow and sleet accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
• Saturday night: Freezing rain and sleet, mainly after 7pm. The sleet could be heavy at times. Low around 20. East northeast wind 7 to 9 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New ice accumulation of 0.1 to 0.2 of an inch possible. New sleet accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.
• Sunday: Freezing rain, possibly mixed with sleet before noon, then freezing rain between noon and 4pm, then rain after 4pm. High near 36. East wind 5 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
• Sunday night: Rain, mainly before 9pm. Low around 23. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
• Monday: Sunny, with a high near 28.
• Monday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 4.
• Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 36.