North Carolina, 1996

Ice Storm in North Carolina, February 2, 1996

February 2, 1996 · NWS GSP · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

Rain began to freeze in the southern foothills and most of the piedmont. Bridges and overpasses quickly became icy with numerous problems reported on highways and streets.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$10 million
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
8

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS GSP wrote it up.

Rain began to freeze in the southern foothills and most of the piedmont. Bridges and overpasses quickly became icy with numerous problems reported on highways and streets. Rain was falling so heavily that not much was accumulating as ice. However, by about noon, ice storm conditions began to develop quickly with numerous power outages reported. Areas west and north of Charlotte were hardest hit. Damage estimates for this major ice storm are a broad estimate and not reliable. Road repair/cleanup costs in North Carolina exceeded $20 million. Numerous traffic accidents caused many injuries and some indirect fatalities.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Ice Storm, Polk

When
February 2, 6:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where
Polk forecast zone
Property damage
$10 million

Ice Storm, Rutherford

When
February 2, 6:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where
Rutherford forecast zone

Ice Storm, Cleveland

When
February 2, 6:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where
Cleveland forecast zone
Coordinates
35.334, -81.556 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Lincoln

When
February 2, 6:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where
Lincoln forecast zone
Coordinates
35.486, -81.224 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Gaston

When
February 2, 6:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where
Gaston forecast zone
Coordinates
35.294, -81.180 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Mecklenburg

When
February 2, 6:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where
Mecklenburg forecast zone
Coordinates
35.247, -80.833 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Cabarrus

When
February 2, 6:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where
Cabarrus forecast zone
Coordinates
35.387, -80.552 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Union

When
February 2, 6:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where
Union forecast zone
Coordinates
34.988, -80.531 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Ice Storm
Freezing rain accumulating a quarter inch or more of ice, or less where it caused significant damage.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in North Carolina in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, February 1996

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5536405, 5536406, 5536407, 5536408, 5536409, 5536410, 5536411, 5536412.