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Some people went for a jog, others brought out their pets for a taste of the frozen precipitation blanketing the Charlotte region on Saturday.
Charlotte saw snow — again — this weekend, but this time it looks a little different.
With an anticipated nearly 6 to 11 inches of snow this weekend from the “Bomb Cyclone”, Charlotte saw a winter wonderland unlike any in some time.
The powdery, dry snow is a bit of a change from last week’s ice and sleet and folks have been taking to it with sledding, snowballs and maybe a snowman or two.
On the flip side of the weather, nearly 200 wrecks have been reported so far by N.C. Highway Patrol. The total number of flights canceled or delayed at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport rose to nearly 1,000 midway through Saturday, with the weather not expected to let up until the evening.
With those conditions in mind, Charlotteans can expect a few more inches of snow before the day is over. And if you’re a kid, or young at heart, that sounds just about right.
This story was originally published January 31, 2026 at 2:16 PM.
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Emily Broyles
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A North Carolina state trooper was injured Friday night after a head-on crash in Goldsboro, North Carolina, officials said.
The crash happened around 9:42 p.m. on US-70 near Spence Avenue.
The State Highway Patrol said Dylan Smith, 29, of Pikesville, North Carolina, was driving into oncoming traffic when he hit the trooper.
Smith was not injured, officials said. The trooper was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
Troopers said Smith was intoxicated at the time of the crash. He was arrested and taken to Wayne County Jail as a result.
Smith is charged with driving while impaired, felony serious injury by vehicle, assault on a government official, reckless driving and open container. He is being held under a $150,000 bond.
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Justin Pryor
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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A mother is suing Novant Health and local doctors after she says serious mistakes left her wondering if the child she buried was actually her daughter, WCNC reports.
LaChunda Hunter says she didn’t think she could have children, but that all changed in September 2021. She learned she was pregnant with her miracle baby girl.
Hunter had to be admitted to the hospital early because she showed signs of high blood pressure. Legacy was born Feb. 13, 2022, at 23 weeks via a C-section at Novant Presbyterian Medical Center.
“She was thriving, they thought the worst, but she did well,” Hunter said.
Three days later, Hunter was released from the hospital while Legacy was in the NICU.
“Feb. 19, I went to see her that morning and I also got a message from the nurse to say she was doing well,” Hunter said.
However, that night, Hunter received a devastating phone call, telling her Legacy had passed away. Hunter went to the hospital the next day. According to a complaint, she says she was led into a room she described as a storage closet.
“They brought me a baby wrapped in a whole bunch of blankets,” she said. “I don’t know what the baby looked like because it was so dark.”
Hunter moved forward with funeral arrangements, but a few days later, got a call she never expected. A doctor was on the other line, saying he felt good about her daughter’s progress.
“He told me who he was and then told me how well Legacy was doing, everything that was wrong with her was turning around and that he was optimistic,” Hunter explained.
Hunter listened in shock. Her assistant, who was there, explained to the doctor that Hunter was told her baby died. Hunter says that’s when the doctor hung up.
Later that day, Hunter says she got a call from another doctor claiming there was a mix-up. The call she got earlier was regarding another baby and her phone number had accidentally been in that chart.
Hunter wanted the case investigated by Novant. She also requested to see her baby’s medical records and wanted to physically see the baby whose results were initially reported.
The lawsuit claims Novant officials wouldn’t meet with Hunter to explain what happened. Leaving Hunter more confused were discrepancies in the Legacy’s medical chart, including updates saying she had tubes removed days after she had died.
“I don’t want any mother to feel this,” she said. “I don’t want any mother to go through what I’m going through.”
The baby was moved to the funeral home on Feb. 20. Before the funeral, Hunter requested a private DNA test as she believed the child who was at the funeral home looked different and older than Legacy, even believing it was a boy.
“This baby doesn’t even look the same as my daughter. My daughter had clear marks on her forehead from skin and bruising. This baby does not have any marks, no sores anything,” Hunter said on Thursday.
The DNA test came back inconclusive. Hunter says a second one was requested by Novant. Those results showed the baby was hers. However, Hunter says she doesn’t believe a second sample was taken because she never signed for it.
Hunter eventually buried the baby, even though she still doesn’t believe it was her daughter. She is suing the hospital for negligence, emotional and financial distress.
“Every milestone that mothers get to experience, I have missed,” Hunter said. “She is the only child I would have physically had and I just want my daughter. I just want to know what happened.”
WCNC Charlotte reached out to Novant Health for comment on Hunter’s claims. They emailed us back a statement saying, “We value the trust families place in us, and while privacy laws prevent us from commenting on individual circumstances, we take all concerns seriously. As caregivers, we guide people through profound moments of joy and loss, and we carry a deep understanding of the complexity of grief. As a result, our care teams are wholly committed to surrounding all families with compassionate care, respect, and support.”
Contact Jesse Pierre at jpierrepet@wcnc.com or follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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After federal agents killed two Americans in Minneapolis, a protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement is slated to take place in uptown Charlotte today.
At least 10 groups — including the Charlotte Clergy Coalition for Justice, Poor People’s Campaign, Indivisible Charlotte and the Party for Socialism and Liberation — publicly are backing the protest.
It is scheduled to take place outside the Charles R. Jonas Federal Building at 2 p.m.
The larger ask from the groups: Stay home, don’t shop and don’t work for the day as part of a general strike. In Minnesota, hundreds of businesses previously shut down to protest ICE’s presence. Other organizers in cities around the country are asking for a general strike today as well.
“Now is the decisive moment,” a social media post from some of the Charlotte groups read this week. “The Minnesota General Strike has given us a historic opening. If we all take a stand now, we can stop the killings and the kidnappings, and end Trump’s war on our most basic rights!”
With the risk of a government shutdown looming, Senate Democrats have been negotiating for some changes to how ICE operates with President Donald Trump.
Charlotte’s congresswoman, Democrat Alma Adams, recently told The Charlotte Observer that what’s happened in Minneapolis recently is “absolutely deplorable.” Adams is one of the lawmakers who has sought to impeach Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Ryan Oehrli covers criminal justice in the Charlotte region for The Charlotte Observer. His work is produced with financial support from the nonprofit The Just Trust. The Observer maintains full editorial control of its journalism.
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Ryan Oehrli
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Retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle was not flying his own jet when it crashed last month, killing him and six others, according to a Friday report from federal safety officials who also concluded that while an experienced pilot was at the controls, no one else on board was qualified to be the required copilot.
The preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board said that Biffle and the retired airline pilot at the controls, Dennis Dutton, and his son Jack, who were all licensed pilots, noticed problems with gauges malfunctioning on the Cessna C550 before it crashed while trying to return to the Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina.
First responders tend to the scene of a plane crash at a regional airport in Statesville, N.C., Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP File Photo/Matt Kelley)
The plane erupted into a large fire when it hit the ground about a third of a mile from the airport’s runway.
The NTSB made clear that Jack Dutton was sitting in the copilot seat. Neither Jack Dutton nor Biffle had the right endorsement on their pilot’s licenses to serve as a copilot on that plane. Aviation safety consultant Jeff Guzzetti, who used to investigate crashes for both the NTSB and Federal Aviation Administration, said he believes the lack of an experienced copilot may have been a key factor in the crash.
“This airplane requires two trained pilots, and if things go wrong and you don’t have a trained pilot, then bad things can happen,” Guzzetti said. “The airplane might have been able to be landed safely if there were two qualified pilots up front.”
The report said that a thrust reverser indicator light wasn’t working before takeoff, but after the plane got into the air, the pilot’s altimeter and some other instruments weren’t working.
The nature of the problems with the plane isn’t clear at this stage in the investigation, partly because the cockpit voice recorder cut out at times and NTSB experts have only just begun to dig into what caused the crash. Over the radio, Jack Dutton announced, “we’re having some problems here” and the cockpit recorder captured part of the conversation between the three pilots about the issues with the plane.
But the report indicates that the pilots were able to resolve the problems with the gauges before they tried to land back at the airport. It’s not clear why the plane came in so low and slow.
Biffle’s wife, Cristina, and children Ryder, 5, and Emma, 14, were killed in the crash along with his friend, Craig Wadsworth.
Biffle, 55, won more than 50 races across NASCAR’s three circuits, including 19 at the Cup Series level. He also won the Trucks Series championship in 2000 and the Xfinity Series title in 2002.
In 2024, Biffle was honored for his humanitarian efforts after Hurricane Helene struck the U.S., even using his personal helicopter to deliver aid to flooded, remote western North Carolina.
Hundreds of people in the NASCAR community gathered at an arena in Charlotte earlier this month to honor Biffle at a public memorial service.
The jet had departed Statesville Regional Airport, about 45 miles north of Charlotte, about 10 minutes before it crashed while trying to return and land. Every indication is that the plane needed to land quickly because of the problems, so it wouldn’t have been a good option to fly to Charlotte.
The plane’s speed and altitude fluctuated significantly during the brief flight. At one point, the plane quickly soared from 1,800 feet up to 4,000 feet before descending again. Just before the crash, it was only a couple of hundred feet off the ground.
An unqualified copilot in that seat is a violation of FAA rules that could have led to suspended licenses for both the pilot in charge and the unqualified copilot if the agency had discovered it under normal circumstances. But the FAA might not have known about that unless someone reported it.
Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.
(National Transportation Safety Board)
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Daniel Gray, Associated Press
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DALLAS (AP) — As Dallas rookie Cooper Flagg set the NBA record for points by a teenager with 49 on Thursday night in a 123-121 loss to Charlotte, he broke the franchise rookie scoring record he shared with Mark Aguirre — whose jersey was retired at halftime.
“Mark Aguirre is special. Such a special night for him and the whole organization,” said Flagg, who turned 19 in December. “I just feel blessed. It’s a pretty cool thing.”
“You saw history,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “We saw history at halftime, and we got to see a young man play the game at a very high level. To have Mark in the building and break his record was pretty special.”
Also special for the No. 1 draft pick last summer from Duke was playing his first NBA game against Kon Knueppel, his roommate as Blue Devils freshmen last season. Knueppel, drafted fourth, set his own career record with 34 points and hit the two winning free throws with 4.1 seconds left after being fouled at the rim by Flagg.
“Cooper, he played like the best player we’ve played all season,” said Knueppel, who set a franchise rookie record hitting eight 3-pointers. “He had a heck of a game, he’s a heck of a player, and he’s going to have a heck of a career.”
Flagg referred to Knueppel as his “brother for life.”
Cliff Robinson set the previous NBA teen record of 45 at age 19 for New Jersey in a game against Detroit on March 9, 1980. Flagg’s previous high of 42 points also came in a defeat — 140-133 at Utah on Dec. 15. As did Aguirre’s, in a 118-112 loss to Golden State on Nov. 14, 1981.
It didn’t start out looking like a historic night for Flagg. He shot 1 for 4 in the first quarter as the Mavericks fell behind by 15 points. He caught fire in the second period, hitting 8 of 9 including 2 of 3 from downtown plus 5 for 5 at the free-throw line. His 23 points in the period and 25 at halftime were both Dallas individual highs this season.
Knueppel conversely came out hot. He hit his first three shots from behind the arc, 4 for 5 in the first period and added another in the second quarter.
“When he sees some easy ones go in to start the game, it’s never a good thing (for an opponent),” Flagg said of Knueppel, who turned 20 in August. “That’s how it is for a lot of great shooters.”
Any trash talk?
“Chirping back and forth,” Flagg said. “Just having fun.”
The two leading candidates for Rookie of the Year finished the night with Flagg averaging 19.5 points per game, Knueppel 18.9. They’ll meet again on March 3 in Charlotte.
It will be difficult to match their collective effort on Thursday night.
“We’ll both be looking back on this night and this whole year in general the rest of our lives,” Flagg said.
Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.
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Associated Press
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The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating after someone pointed a blue laser at an American Airlines flight early Thursday morning in Charlotte, according to a release.
American Airlines flight 3114 was “illuminated by a blue laser about 5 miles from Charlotte Douglas International Airport” around 7 a.m., a statement from the FAA said.
The flight landed safely, officials said, and local authorities were alerted to the situation.
The FAA says nearly 11,000 laser strikes were reported by pilots to the administration last year. Officials say shining a laser at an aircraft poses serious safety risks to both the pilot and people on board.
People have pointed lasers at airplanes intentionally, but some may not know how powerful a laser can be, the FAA said.
The FAA does warn that shining a laser at an aircraft is a federal crime and can include the following punishments:
The FAA said it is investigating Thursday’s incident with the help of local law enforcement agencies.
Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.
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Justin Pryor
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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Hardware stores across North Carolina are working to restock winter weather supplies ahead of this weekend’s snow. However, it will likely take weeks for some supplies to be shipped because many items sold out ahead of last weekend’s storm that affected most of the U.S.
“We sold about 4,500 bags of ice melt,” Ben Little, the owner of Little Hardware in Charlotte, said. “We had maybe 10 or so generators on hand. We did sell through those by about Tuesday.”
Little, a fourth-generation owner of Little Hardware, said there was so much demand for winter weather gear last weekend that he had to order supplies from other states.
“We were scrambling all over trying to find ice melt,” Little said. “We had some actually ordered that we were worried wasn’t going to make it, but it did end up showing up on Friday. We were also able to overnight a truck out of Florida on Thursday. It was gone in about three hours.”
Little is working to restock his store with more supplies. He received new shipments this week, but he said some items are backordered.
“Some of the things like salt, I can’t get any until the second or third week of February now,” he said.
Little suggests that people always have ice melt, a generator and a second source of heat on hand in case a storm approaches.
Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.
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Chloe Salsameda
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Ice on High Point Road in Winston-Salem was the cause of a pile-up involving 10-13 vehicles Tuesday morning, police said.
Around 10 a.m., Winston-Salem Police Department said it was “responding to numerous vehicles that have slid off the roadway and are disabled due to ice” between Robbins Road and Ridgewood Road, including Friedland Church Road.
“The area is a solid sheet of ice,” police said in a Facebook post.
Officials say emergency vehicles are struggling to reach the disabled vehicles. Drivers are asked to avoid the area and seek alternate routes.
“While some main roads and highways may appear clear, dangerous black ice remains widespread. Many secondary roads and neighborhood streets are still icy and unsafe this morning,” official said. “Road crews are working as quickly as possible, but extremely low temperatures are limiting the effectiveness of treatment efforts.”
Anyone traveling on the roads is asked to follow these tips to ensure safe travel:
Across the state, between 6 p.m. on Jan. 24 and 8 a.m. Jan. 27, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol said it has responded to 1,213 crashes and 1,477 calls for service statewide.
The SHP said it has not responded to any deadly incidents.
Lexington police confirmed one weather-related death that occurred Saturday night when a woman was hit by a car that slid off the roadway and down an embankment. Her body was found the following morning.
Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.
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Justin Pryor
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U.S. Border Patrol agents arrive at the Compare Foods on North Tryon Street in Charlotte on November 17, 2025.
jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
Western North Carolina’s top federal defender has decried “threats to the rule of law” following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by immigration officials in Minnesota.
“What we are witnessing on the streets of Minneapolis, and in other cities across the country, shocks the conscience,” John Baker, the federal public defender for the Western District of North Carolina, said in a Monday statement following Pretti’s death on Saturday in Minneapolis.
Before moving to Charlotte (where federal Border Patrol agents conducted operations in November), Baker worked as the chief defense counsel of the Marine Corps and represented Guantanamo Bay detainees — including those charged in the 9/11 attacks.
Resharing a statement released on behalf of all federal defenders across the country, Baker called for “all federal immigration officials to immediately de-escalate tensions, fully cooperate with independent and transparent investigations, and recommit to the rule of law.”
Pretti was the second citizen killed by federal agents who were carrying out the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement in Minnesota this month.
Renee Good, also 37, died earlier this month when an agent shot her as she drove an SUV away from officers asking her to get out of the car. The agent who shot her, Jonathan Ross, was in fear for his life, the Department of Homeland Security said.
The Trump administration has said it will not investigate Good’s death, and it has blocked any local investigations into Pretti’s killing. Their deaths were just two of the at least 12 times immigration agents have shot at people since September, NBC News reported.
In Pretti’s and Good’s cases, videos contradict the DHS narrative. The same can be said for cases that unfolded in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina when federal immigration agents came to Charlotte in November.
Defense attorneys working in Baker’s office questioned officials’ testimony while representing citizens charged with assaulting officers in Charlotte’s federal court. In three cases, charges were dropped or reduced.
DHS also published inaccurate information about the people its agents were arresting in Charlotte, at one point falsely asserting that a Honduran man charged with murder was released.
In a statement, U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson said Monday that while his office does not expect an incident like Pretti’s death to occur here, he takes “every incident involving use of force by law enforcement very seriously and will always conduct a full and fair investigation in such cases.”
“We have a good and long-standing relationship with CMPD,” his spokesperson said, “and do not expect that to change.”
The statement shared by Baker, who has led the federal public defenders’ office in North Carolina’s western district for more than three years, said: “We stand in solidarity with those who are lawfully asserting their Fourth Amendment constitutional rights to be free from unlawful seizures and racial profiling, and their First Amendment rights to free speech and peaceful assembly.”
This story was originally published January 26, 2026 at 7:37 PM.
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Julia Coin
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Following rare snowfall and freezing temperatures in Florida, another powerful storm is set to strike multiple states across the nation this weekend. The storm arrived on Friday and is expected to continue through the weekend, potentially becoming a catastrophic event stretching from the eastern region to the Deep South. The ice accumulations will start Saturday morning in Texas, then head toward the Carolinas on Sunday morning.Winter storm warnings have been issued for portions of Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Arkansas. Ice storm warnings have been issued for parts of Alabama. The National Weather Service said life-threatening conditions are expected as wind chills plunge to minus 50 degrees in the north while temperatures fall below freezing all the way to the Gulf Coast. Ice storm conditions are likely across North Georgia and parts of Central Georgia. Forecasters said that the ice could weigh down trees and power lines, leading to widespread outages.The storm is expected to disrupt travel at major hub airports in Dallas, Atlanta, Memphis, Tennessee and Charlotte in North Carolina, according to AP News.What’s causing this? A clash between unusually warm Arctic waters and icy continental air is warping the polar vortex, sending a punishing wave of extreme cold sweeping across the United States, according to AP News.Florida impactsThis weather is not expected to bring snow to Central Florida. However, residents should expect a cold front to bring a few showers Sunday into Monday. Temperatures will reach into the mid-80s this weekend in Central Florida. By Monday, cooler air will move into the region as highs reach the 60s.First Warning Weather Stay with WESH 2 online and on air for the most accurate Central Florida weather forecast.RadarSevere Weather AlertsDownload the WESH 2 News app to get the most up-to-date weather alerts. The First Warning Weather team includes First Warning Chief Meteorologist Tony Mainolfi, Eric Burris, Marquise Meda and Cam Tran.
Following rare snowfall and freezing temperatures in Florida, another powerful storm is set to strike multiple states across the nation this weekend.
The storm arrived on Friday and is expected to continue through the weekend, potentially becoming a catastrophic event stretching from the eastern region to the Deep South.
The ice accumulations will start Saturday morning in Texas, then head toward the Carolinas on Sunday morning.
Winter storm warnings have been issued for portions of Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Arkansas. Ice storm warnings have been issued for parts of Alabama.
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The National Weather Service said life-threatening conditions are expected as wind chills plunge to minus 50 degrees in the north while temperatures fall below freezing all the way to the Gulf Coast.
Ice storm conditions are likely across North Georgia and parts of Central Georgia.
Forecasters said that the ice could weigh down trees and power lines, leading to widespread outages.
The storm is expected to disrupt travel at major hub airports in Dallas, Atlanta, Memphis, Tennessee and Charlotte in North Carolina, according to AP News.
This content is imported from Twitter.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
A clash between unusually warm Arctic waters and icy continental air is warping the polar vortex, sending a punishing wave of extreme cold sweeping across the United States, according to AP News.
This weather is not expected to bring snow to Central Florida. However, residents should expect a cold front to bring a few showers Sunday into Monday.
Temperatures will reach into the mid-80s this weekend in Central Florida. By Monday, cooler air will move into the region as highs reach the 60s.
Stay with WESH 2 online and on air for the most accurate Central Florida weather forecast.
Download the WESH 2 News app to get the most up-to-date weather alerts.
The First Warning Weather team includes First Warning Chief Meteorologist Tony Mainolfi, Eric Burris, Marquise Meda and Cam Tran.
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Charlotte could see a dangerous 0.75 inches of ice through Monday afternoon from a storm expected to move into the region late Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, the National Weather Service reported.
National Weather Service
Hundreds of incoming and outgoing flights were cancelled at Charlotte Douglas International Airport on Saturday ahead of an ice storm expected to shut down the region into Monday.
By 1 p.m. Saturday, at least 437 flights were cancelled, most all of them on American Airlines and its affiliated carriers, according to tracking site Flight Aware.
“CLT will remain open and operational, but travelers should expect significant impacts across the network,” airport officials posted on X at 11:30 a.m.
Charlotte can expect up to a debilitating three-quarters of an inch of ice from the winter storm forecast to bring freezing rain to Mecklenburg and surrounding counties late Saturday through Sunday, National Weather Service meteorologists said.
“A major ice storm is still on tap,” NWS forecasters said on Facebook at 7 a.m. Saturday. ”Make sure to finish any preparations today. Precipitation rates ramp up this evening.”
“Significant ice accumulation on power lines and tree limbs may cause widespread and long-lasting power outages,” according to an NWS ice warning bulletin. “Trees and large limbs could fall on structures, posing threat to life and property.”
“Ice and snow covered roadways will become treacherous and impassable,” the NWS said.
Hazardous conditions could affect Monday’s commute, forecasters said.
Light snow and sleet moved across the Appalachians into the western Carolinas around 8:30 a.m. Saturday, the National Weather Service reported.
“Impacts will be relatively low this morning, but cooling temps set the stage for much greater winter impacts later this afternoon and evening,” NWS meteorologists said on social media site X.
A state of emergency began at noon for Mecklenburg County and “will remain until it’s safe to end it,” the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Emergency Management Office posted on X.
The declaration allows for increased public safety staffing and bans price increases.
The town of Davidson activated its emergency operations center at 6 a.m. Saturday. “Public safety personnel are in place to respond to emergencies throughout the weather event,” according to a town news release.
At 1 p.m., the town of Mooresville closed all public town buildings, including the Charles Mack Citizen Center, Mooresville Public Library east and west branches, Mooresville Skate Park and all recreation centers.
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein on Saturday said the White House approved his request for a statewide emergency declaration. That will enable the state to get more generators to hospitals and shelters, access emergency fuel for state vehicles responding to storm incidents, and get U.S. Forest Service help clearing roads in state forests, Stein said at a news conference.
“We are grateful for their partnership and quick response,” Stein said on X.
Once the storm hits, stay home and off the roads, “unless absolutely necessary,” Stein urged.
“Be prepared for potential power outages, and make sure you have a plan to stay warm and in contact with loved ones,” the governor said.
Charlotte has a 100% chance of freezing rain and sleet late Saturday and early Sunday, and a 100% chance of freezing rain mixed with sleet on Sunday, according to the NWS Charlotte forecast.
“The sleet could be heavy at times” late Saturday and early Sunday, according to the forecast.
All freezing rain is forecast after noon Sunday, “with new ice accumulation of 0.2 to 0.4 of an inch possible,” the forecast showed. “New sleet accumulation of less than a half inch possible.”
The NWS forecasts highs of 34 on Saturday and 31 on Sunday, and lows of 21 late Saturday and early Sunday and 28 late Sunday and early Monday.
Monday should be mostly sunny, with a high near 38, although the low could plummet to 8 degrees late Monday and early Tuesday, 17 degrees late Tuesday and early Wednesday, 18 late Wednesday and early Thursday and 12 degrees late Thursday and early Friday, according to the NWS.
“The cold lingering into next Monday will impact folks’ ability to travel,” Stein said at Saturday’s news conference.
Drivers should check DriveNC.gov for the latest road conditions in their areas, he said.
This is a developing story that will be updated.
This story was originally published January 24, 2026 at 10:34 AM.
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Joe Marusak
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Members of the NASCAR Hall of Fame share the stage for a group photo during the NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, NC on Friday, January 23, 2026.
jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
CHARLOTTE
NASCAR’s Hall of Fame saw three new additions on Friday night, featuring 2004 Cup Series Champion Kurt Busch, NASCAR’s oldest winner, Harry “Mr. September” Gant, and Pioneer Ray “Mr. Modified” Hendrick.
The trio was honored at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Uptown Charlotte on Friday, featuring a star-studded crowd littered with stock-car racing’s finest.
The 2026 class, the 16th in the Hall of Fame’s history, spans 72 racing years from 1950-2022 and moves the total to 70 in the group.
Meet the trio of 2026 inductees:
Busch, 47, was selected to join the Hall of Fame in his first year on the ballot. Known for his 2004 Championship — in NASCAR’s first edition of The Chase, a format to which the sport has now returned — Busch’s career spanned over years, culminating in 34 Cup Series victories.
The Las Vegas native and NASCAR Top 75 driver scored his first and only Daytona 500 victory in 2007, nabbing one of the sport’s crown jewels in his first-ever race in the Monster Energy No. 1 car. Known as a fiery driver for much of his career, learning of his induction was humbling.
“It goes with the legends I shared the track with. I fit in as a small member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame,” said Busch. “And the many more that come behind me, I hope that I can influence them. That it can be done from humble beginnings and can still be done after mistakes.”
Busch, six years older than his younger brother Kyle, was captivated by the brotherly aspect of the Hall of Fame, which features his idol growing up, and will soon feature his younger brother.
“Jeff Gordon was my idol. Dale Earnhardt. The Allison brothers, the Labonte brothers, and Kyle (Busch) will be a future Hall of Famer,” Busch told The Observer. “The brotherly aspect resonated really strong when I saw the names on the list.”
Busch won races in 19 of his 21 seasons, including claiming his 34th and final victory in his last year on the track, which he attributed to Michael Jordan giving him a call and extending his career for one final season.
“You race the same way I played basketball,” Jordan told Busch.
A man with many nicknames, Gant, 86, scored 18 victories at NASCAR’s highest level, including winning a historic four straight races in September 1991, donning the tag of “Mr. September” for the rest of his career.
Gant chased the rookie of the year title in 1979, at 39 years old. The ‘79 class was one of the greatest — if not the greatest — rookie classes in NASCAR history, featuring Dale Earnhardt, Geoff Bodine, Joe Milliken, Terry Labonte, and Gant.
Remembered for his No. 33 Skoal Bandit ride, Gant’s ascension to the Hall of Fame started as a quiet individual from Taylorsville, North Carolina, a carpenter by day and a racer by night.
And despite his 86th birthday passing just two weeks prior, fellow Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett joked that he could get back in the car today and pick right up.
“Four hundred miles or 600 miles, Gant was up for the task,” Jarrett said. “He looks like he could jump right in and go.”
Known for racing anytime, anywhere — and as many as five, even six times a week — Hendrick was chosen from a group of five on the Pioneer ballot. Hendrick, who passed in September 1990, scored more than 700 victories in his illustrious career, making the red Flyin’ 11 famous.
With the nickname “Mr. Modified,” Hendrick (of no relation to Rick Hendrick of Hendrick Motorsports fame) dominated modified and late model sportsman racing spanning nearly 40 years.
Hendrick was tabbed as being mechanically gifted, building and tuning much of his own equipment — and driving it to the front. Short tracks were his preference, but Hendrick scored victories at Dover, Charlotte, and Talladega.
“When that No. 11 rolled in on that trailer, there was a buzz in the stands,” legendary crew chief Ray Evernham said.
Friday night’s ceremony also honored the late Humpy Wheeler with the Landmark Award for outstanding contributions to NASCAR. Wheeler, former President and General Manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway, was known for transforming NASCAR from just the horsepower and torque to showmanship and entertainment. Wheeler’s 33-year tenure spearheaded the iconic turn four grandstands and introduced the NASCAR experience, bringing the fans closer to the action. He was “a visionary,” according to Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick.
Longtime motorsports reporter Deb Williams was also honored as the recipient of the 2026 Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence. With a career spanning 40 years, Williams earned the respect of her competitors, those in the garage, and those at the controls of the sport.
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Hunter Bailey
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Indian students were threatened because of their race in 2024 at a NoDa pizza shop.
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Eight Indian graduate students gathered inside Zambies pizzeria at the tail end of a night in NoDa when a man demanded they speak English and told them to “go back to their country” before brandishing an AR-15, according to federal court documents.
That man, 32-year-old Maurice Hopkins, was sentenced to more than three years in prison in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina on Thursday afternoon. Federal prosecutors found that he targeted the people, who had student visas, because of their race, color, religion and national origin. Hopkins first said the group didn’t belong here, threatened to punch them and then threatened to kill them.
The students’ lives forever changed that day, prosecutors said. All but one returned to India, saying they didn’t feel safe in Charlotte. Most never left campus again. They all declined to continue to be involved in the case because they feared the defendant, prosecutors said.
Hopkins was originally charged with interfering with federally protected activities, interfering with federally protected housing rights and having a firearm during the incident. In a plea deal, prosecutors with U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson’s Office dropped the last two charges.
Prosecutors asked U.S. District Judge Max Cogburn to sentence Hopkins to 48 months. Hopkins’ federal public defender asked for 36 months. She told Cogburn that Hopkins was in a mental health crisis and had “wholly adopted … vitriol being repeated by [President Donald] Trump or whoever” at the time of the June 8, 2024, incident.
He has since gotten mental health treatment and has transformed into a new man, she said.
Hopkins, speaking to Cogburn, said he took courses on anger management and anti-discrimination law while in jail and read the Bible and “The Art of Happiness” by the Dalai Lama. He compared his impending time in prison to the half-time of a football game, saying he wants to come out with a new game plan for his life.
Cogburn added three years of supervision to his sentence and ordered that he continue mental health treatment during that time.
This story was originally published January 22, 2026 at 3:57 PM.
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Julia Coin
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