Hurricane Helene expected to have widespread impact on the Carolinas

A cold front brought heavy rain and severe weather to the Charlotte area on Wednesday and the Carolinas are bracing for the impacts of Hurricane Helene starting Thursday evening. Tropical storm watches and warnings are in place, including portions of our viewing area. A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Mecklenburg, Union, York, Chester, Gaston, Lincoln, Catawba, Cleveland, Burke, Caldwell and Avery counties. Impacted cities and towns include Banner Elk, Shelby, Lenoir, Morganton, Hickory, Newton, Gastonia, Charlotte, Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Chester, Lincolnton, Monroe, Huntersville, Matthews, and Cheraw.Closer to the Charlotte area, rainfall totals will range from 3-6 inches west of I-77 and around 2-4 inches east of the interstate.On top of the wind and rain, the Carolinas are expected to be in the right-front quadrant of Helene, often referred to as the "dirty side". This will lead to a higher-than-average risk of quick spin-up tornadoes. Tropical tornadoes are often very weak but they can still produce impacts.READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/weather/weather-impact/weather-aware-helene-impacts-carolinas-charlotte/275-345813de-f66d-41af-9488-7ca23947e080Plus, Ben Thompson connects the dots on why fall is a great time for stargazing and we're recapping the biggest headlines from around the Charlotte area. WCNC Charlotte To Go is a daily news and weather podcast you can listen to so you can start your day with news that impacts you from the team at WCNC Charlotte.  SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts || Spotify || Pandora || TuneIn || Google Podcasts || iHeartAll of WCNC Charlotte's podcasts are free and available for both streaming and download. You can listen now on Android, iPhone, Amazon, and other internet-connected devices. Join us from North Carolina, South Carolina, or on the go anywhere.