Major Winter Storm Warning Blankets Carolinas And Virginia

As the final days of January 2026 draw to a close, residents across North Carolina, South Carolina, and southeastern Virginia are bracing for what meteorologists are calling one of the most significant winter storms in recent memory. With snow expected to begin late Friday night, January 30, and continue intermittently through early Sunday morning, February 1, the National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a flurry of winter storm warnings for a vast swath of the southeastern United States.

According to ABC11, clouds will start rolling into central North Carolina on Friday, with snow developing late that night and persisting through Sunday morning. Chief Meteorologist Don Schwenneker noted that a Winter Storm Warning for the area would likely be issued Friday, and an Extreme Cold Warning was possible for Saturday. The forecast, he said, could still shift as more overnight data arrives, but the message was clear: significant snowfall and dangerous cold are on the way.

Western North Carolina is also under the gun. The National Weather Service in Greenville-Spartanburg issued a Winter Storm Warning at 12:36 p.m. on Thursday, January 29, covering a broad region including Buncombe, Henderson, Avery, Madison, and several mountain counties. The warning, as reported by The Asheville Citizen-Times, calls for heavy snow—between 4 and 7 inches—accompanied by wind gusts as high as 55 mph. The warning is in effect from 4 p.m. Friday through 7 a.m. Sunday, and the NWS cautioned, "Monitor the latest forecasts for updates on this situation. Slow down and use caution while traveling. If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency."

The impacts, according to the NWS, could be severe: "The heavy snow will make many roads impassable and may produce isolated power outages due to the weight of the snow on tree limbs and power lines. The hazardous conditions could impact the Friday evening commute. Strong winds could cause damage to trees and power lines." With temperatures expected to remain in the 20s Fahrenheit, snow is likely to stick rapidly to roads and other surfaces, causing travel conditions to deteriorate quickly as early as Friday evening.

South Carolina is not being spared either. The NWS Columbia issued a Winter Storm Warning at 1:22 a.m. Friday, January 30, valid from 10 p.m. that night until Sunday at 10 a.m. The warning covers Northwestern, Central, and Southeastern Orangeburg, as well as McCormick, Edgefield, Aiken, Barnwell, and Bamberg counties. Expected snow accumulations range from 3 to 6 inches, with winds gusting up to 35 mph. The NWS urged caution: "Plan on slippery road conditions. If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency."

Winter weather driving tips were a recurring theme in official advisories. The NWS highlighted that, on average, weather-related vehicle crashes claim more than 6,000 lives and injure over 480,000 people nationwide each year. Their advice? Slow down, assume ice is present if temperatures are near freezing, and avoid driving if possible. If you must go out, let someone know your route and expected arrival, keep your gas tank full, and carry essentials like a scraper, jumper cables, a small shovel, flashlight, cell phone, blanket, warm clothing, water, and non-perishable food. And if you become stranded, don’t panic—call for help and make your vehicle visible.

Further north, the National Weather Service in Greenville-Spartanburg updated its warning at 1:42 a.m. Friday, January 30, expanding coverage to additional counties in Western North Carolina. This updated warning, valid from 4 p.m. Friday through 7 a.m. Sunday, forecasts snow accumulations between 5 and 8 inches and wind gusts up to 50 mph. The NWS reiterated the risks: "Snow is expected to rapidly stick to roads and other surfaces due to temperatures in the 20s. Travel conditions could deteriorate rapidly as early as Friday evening. Very gusty winds on Saturday could result in areas of blowing snow, causing very poor visibility."

In the east, the situation is even more intense. WAVY reports that the NWS has issued a Winter Storm Warning for northeastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia, with possible blizzard conditions. The warning, effective from 4 a.m. Saturday through 7 p.m. Sunday, calls for snow accumulations between 7 and 12 inches in the Outer Banks, Dare County, and the northern Outer Banks, with wind gusts reaching 50 to 65 mph depending on the location. Areas such as Ocracoke, Buxton, Rodanthe, Avon, Hatteras Village, and Frisco are under warnings from 4 p.m. Saturday to 7 p.m. Sunday, with 4 to 7 inches of snow and gusts up to 65 mph expected.

Visibility in the Outer Banks may drop below a quarter-mile due to heavy, blowing snow, making travel "treacherous and potentially life-threatening," according to the NWS. The strong winds could cause extensive tree damage, and the cold will be relentless, with highs only in the upper 20s and lows dipping into the teens and low 20s through Sunday. WAVY Chief Meteorologist Emeritus Don Slater explained, "The air’s going to be so cold that it won’t be the sticky kind of snow that falls and sticks on the pavement right away. It’ll be blowing around. We’ll have a lot of wind with it as well."

For context, last winter the region received 16.8 inches of snow, and in the previous ten winters, Hampton Roads saw more than 10 inches just three times. The last time the area saw a comparable snowfall was the winter of 2010-2011, when 21.8 inches fell.

In anticipation of the storm, North Carolina Governor Josh Stein issued a state of emergency on Thursday, January 29. As reported by WRAL, this declaration—separate from the one issued before last weekend’s ice storm—activates the State Emergency Response Team and ensures the state qualifies for federal assistance if needed. Central North Carolina is expected to receive more than 3 inches of snow, and a winter storm watch is in effect. Governor Stein advised, "If you can stay off the roads, you’re going to make their jobs a whole lot easier, a lot safer and you will be safe as well. So, we really encourage folks to stay home starting Friday night."

Preparations are underway across the region: road crews are brining major highways, emergency management teams are on alert, and residents are being urged to stock up on essentials and avoid unnecessary travel. While Governor Stein expressed hope that fewer power outages would occur compared to last weekend’s ice storm, he cautioned, "That doesn't mean that there will not be power outages."

As the snow begins to fall and winds pick up, communities across the Southeast are hunkering down, hoping the warnings and preparations will be enough to weather the storm safely. For now, all eyes remain on the skies—and the latest updates from meteorologists and emergency officials.