ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — As the bulk of freezing rain moved out of Western North Carolina, dangerously cold temperatures and lingering infrastructure impacts remained Sunday evening, with forecasters warning of life-threatening wind chills and officials in Haywood County urging residents to conserve water following a major water line break.
The National Weather Service in Greenville-Spartanburg said a Cold Weather Advisory is in effect from 4 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday for most of the North Carolina mountains and Rabun County in northeast Georgia. Wind chills could drop as low as 5 degrees below zero, increasing the risk of hypothermia and frostbite.
Forecasters urged residents to limit time outdoors, wear warm clothing, including hats and gloves, and check on elderly neighbors and family members. Officials also cautioned against improper use of portable heaters and warned residents not to use generators or grills indoors.
An Ice Storm Warning remains in effect until 1 p.m. Monday for parts of the region, though the warning was canceled for Haywood and Madison counties after temperatures rose above freezing. Freezing rain and drizzle continued in some areas, particularly along higher elevations of the Blue Ridge, with gusty winds possible as another band of precipitation moved through the region.
The weather service said colder air moving in behind the storm system will combine with northwest winds late Sunday night into Monday morning, producing hazardous wind chills across mountain communities. Even colder conditions are possible later in the week, with dangerously low wind chills expected at higher elevations Wednesday through Friday nights.
The final round of heavy freezing rain significantly impacted the region’s power infrastructure. Duke Energy reported more than 11,000 outages across the county as of 5:15 p.m. Sunday, according to local officials. Residents were urged to stay off roadways to allow utility crews and the North Carolina Department of Transportation to safely restore power and clear hazardous travel routes.
In Henderson County, non-emergency local government offices — including Solid Waste, Animal Services and the Henderson County Public Library — will be closed Monday, Jan. 26, due to hazardous road conditions. County officials have activated a non-emergency call center at 828-435-2030 to assist residents.
An emergency shelter has also been opened at the Henderson County Athletics and Activities Center, located at 708 South Grove St. in Hendersonville. The shelter is pet-friendly, officials said.
Meanwhile, weather-related damage continued to impact essential services. In Waynesville, town officials said a 12-inch main water line broke shortly before 7 a.m., draining more than half of the town’s water tank storage. Camp Branch Road between Browning Road and Allens Creek Road remained closed as crews worked to repair the line.
Town officials said the leak has been isolated and the water storage tank is being refilled, but residents are being asked to conserve water for at least 48 hours to allow pressure to be fully restored.
A Boil Water Advisory remains in effect. Once service is restored, residents should boil all water used for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth and washing dishes for at least one minute or use bottled water until officials issue further notice.
Updates will be posted on the Town of Waynesville website, its Facebook page, and through town and county emergency alerts.