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Where the Winter Fern Blows: Storm moves in today, ice expected more than snow

  • Writer: Chuck Thompson
    Chuck Thompson
  • 2 days ago
  • 2 min read

By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent, Special Saturday News & Weather Column


Cleveland County Government has declared a state of Emergency, along with The City of Shelby and the State of North Carolina.
Cleveland County Government has declared a state of Emergency, along with The City of Shelby and the State of North Carolina.


SATURDAY, Jan. 24, 2026 — Icemegeddom looms on the horizon.


Good morning, it's 5:30 a.m., as of publishing time. Today is the day the winter storm rolls in. Don't eat all your storm snacks before it's over.


Today's local high will be in the mid 30's. Cloudy, goes without saying.



As the wintry front creeps in, the temperature will shift, possibly feeling colder than it is at times. The arrival of the freezing rain and snow keeps moving back. It could be late afternoon or after 9 p.m. tonight; so much confidence, but nobody knows precisely.


Set your fridge and freezer on the coldest settings and turn your thermostat up a couple of degrees so if the power goes out it'll all last just a little longer. Can't guarantee anything, but any little bit helps.


Cleveland County Government has declared a state of Emergency, along with The City of Shelby and the State of North Carolina. Please familiarize yourself what that means. You can find the City of Shelby and Cleveland County's declarations on the Shelby Independent's Facebook page and here on the website.


(Article continues and emergency contact information listed, below)





If you are out and about because you have no choice, and you see any accidents or major damage such as a large tree limbs, etc., or if you lose power, please report them to the proper authorities.


If any county closures, service impacts, or operational changes occur, official updates will be shared through the following channels:


 

If you experience a power outage, please report it directly to your power provider:


  • City of Shelby, North Carolina — Visit the Outage App or call 704-484-6866

  • City of Kings Mountain — Call 704-730-2120 or 704-730-2125

  • Duke Energy — Report outages via their website or mobile app, text OUT to 57801, or call 800-POWER-ON (800-769-3766)

  • Rutherford Electric — Call 1-800-228-5331 or 704-435-5401

 

Please do not call 911 for information about power outages. Power outages should be reported directly to your electric provider so emergency lines remain available for life-threatening situations.

 


In a press release a couple of days ago, Cleveland County Government stated, "Residents are strongly encouraged to sign up for Hyper-Reach emergency alerts through Cleveland County Emergency Management to receive timely weather and safety notifications," Follow this link here: bit.ly/cc-weather-alerts


Saturday night and all day Sunday will be the "main event" of this storm (so far, but who knows) but it's the melting ice and snow that refreezes at night at the beginning of the week that you need to take caution about, not just the storm itself.


Stay safe. Check on your seniors & juniors throughout the next few days. Enjoy your milk sammiches.


You are appreciated, please be careful.



Chuck.





Follow The Shelby Independent on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. To contact Chuck about a story idea, send an email or visit the contact page.


Chuck Thompson is a reporter and columnist for The Shelby Independent. 




The Shelby Independent

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