‘THE ICE SIEGE’: Carolinas Crippled by Catastrophic Freezing Rain and Arctic Plunge – OXY NEWS CHANNEL

In this emergency update from OXY NEWS CHANNEL for Monday, January 26, 2026, we detail the impacts of Winter Storm Fern across North and South Carolina. We report on the Ice Storm Warning covering Charlotte and the Piedmont, where ice accumulations have reached up to 0.75 inches. The segment covers the 28,000+ power outages reported by Duke Energy, the cancellation of 1,100+ flights at Charlotte Douglas International, and the closure of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. We also analyze the looming arctic blast that will drop temperatures to 11°F, creating life-threatening wind chills of 7°F and slowing infrastructure recovery.