Brad Panovich reflects on December 2002 ice storm that crippled Charlotte, NC

Описание: As the Charlotte area braces for this weekend's winter storm, an ominous forecast is calling back memories of Charlotte's last crippling ice storm.

Weather Impact meteorologist Chris Mulcahy says the current guidance has shifted to a significant ice storm with less snow expected for most of us. That's bad news, especially when you combine the precipitation with all the cold air and sub-freezing temperatures.

You have to go all the way back to December 2002, when a half-inch of ice covered the Charlotte metro, closing roads and knocking out power for days across the Carolinas. It was one of the most destructive winter storms in North Carolina's history.

"Back in 2002, we had half an inch of ice. It was crippling," Mulcahy explained. "They were out of power for two weeks in some places. There's a chance we could have power outages last for days to weeks from Dallas, Texas, to North Carolina. I just want everyone to be in perspective that, as far as the setup goes, this is pretty much a once-in-a-decade setup."

Roughly 2-3 inches of snow fell in the western Piedmont before transitioning to ice. There were widespread totals up to an inch of ice across the Charlotte region. Nearly 2 million people lost power, with some areas taking up to 10 days to restore electricity. In total, the storm caused an estimated $113 million in property damage. #Weather #Ice #Charlotte

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