Winter Weather: What to Know

Published on February 19, 2025

Please stay alert and prioritize safety during inclement weather, including snow, sleet, freezing rain, and more.

Downed Trees and Limbs

Call 911 for trees or limbs that are blocking a street or any other emergency tree situation. If it is a non-emergency tree issue, call 311 or use the CLT+ mobile app or online form to report it. You can view a map of storm-related tree requests online. Please note that city crews cannot work near downed utility lines of any kind until they are cleared by utility companies.

Before starting cleanup on your property, look for dangerous hanging limbs, downed utility lines, broken limbs and other failures. Also, cordon off damaged trees with caution tape, rope and/or traffic cones. Watch out for scammers showing up at your house claiming to be tree specialists. Do your homework, check references and make sure the business is legitimate.

Freezing Pipes

Taking extra steps to prevent frozen pipes is important in our area, especially if temperatures stay below freezing in the day after an overnight freeze. Some easy ways to help prepare your house's pipes include:

1. Opening doors on cabinets below sinks to allow warmer room air to circulate around plumbing at night.
2. Disconnecting garden hoses from outdoor spigots.
3. Sealing any openings and air leaks in the crawl space or basement.

Find more helpful tips by visiting Charlotte Water's blog.

Road Safety

If you do not need to be on the roads during inclement weather, the safest thing to do is to stay home. However, for those who do need to venture out into the city, you can rest assured that the Charlotte Department of Transportation (CDOT) is hard at work making preparations for the winter weather. 

CDOT wants to remind everyone that if you're on the road, you can do your part in keeping everyone safe by slowing down and increasing your following distance to allow plenty of time to stop for vehicles ahead of you.

Residents can read the full City of Charlotte Emergency Plan for Ice Control and Snow Removal online.

Pet Safety

Animal Care & Control would also like to remind pet owners to ensure they have a plan for the forecasted winter weather expected to move into our region this weekend. Be sure to read over their Winter Safety Tips.

Solid Waste Services

The City of Charlotte Solid Waste Services would like to ensure the safety of its staff and residents. Please assist them by following these tips:

• To avoid delays, please ensure your collection items are place at the curb no later than 6 a.m. on your collection day.
• Position your garbage and recycling carts in a location that is clear of snow and ice to allow our collection crews safe access.
• To assist our crews, please shovel and de-ice your driveway and the area around your carts. This will make reaching and collecting your waste easier for our teams.
• If your regular collection spot becomes inaccessible due to snow buildup, please move your carts to a more accessible location, such as the end of your driveway or by a clear street area.