11:15 A.M. Update
AIRPORT BACK TO NORMAL
Charlotte-Douglas has just announced American Airlines flights are again departing from the airport. Last night the airline halted all Charlotte departures due to concerns over the weather. The flights were set to resume around noon. And they have, a bit ahead of schedule.
8:30 a.m. Update
BETWEEN 2 AND 3 INCHES OF SNOW IN CHARLOTTE
This storm didn’t come with the bang meteorologists were predicting. The National Weather Service had been expecting 6 to 8 inches of snow last night. But what did fall was wet and heavy – which means roads are slushy this morning and can be slick. This is especially true on secondary and side roads. So if you have to drive today, use caution. Officials say there were about 60 accidents last night in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County.
SOME POWER OUTAGES ARE REPORTED
The heavy snow did bring down some trees and power lines. As of 6:30 a.m. the outages in our area are found mostly in Gastonia (1,800) and Mooresville (3,300). But the number of outages is much higher to the east. Duke Energy reports more than 100,000 power outages in the Triangle.
CLT AIRPORT
Charlotte Douglas says it’s open and operational with all 3 parallel runways up and running. However there are a number of flight delays and cancelations. Yesterday, American Airlines canceled all flights from Charlotte-Douglas until around noon today. American operates more than 90% of the flights at Charlotte-Douglas. So if you’re flying today it’s best to check with your carrier on the status of your departure before heading to the airport. You can also check on the general status at the airport here.
SCHOOLS CLOSED OR DELAYED
School districts and universities in the Charlotte region are either closed or on a delay this morning. Mecklenburg County Courts are also closed today due to the weather. Charlotte City and Mecklenburg County Government offices are on a two hour delay this morning.
STATE OFFICIALS TO HOLD PRESS CONFERENCE AT NOON
Governor Pat McCrory and other state officials will brief the media on the storm at noon today. You can live stream the news conference here.