This is a developing story and will be updated.
A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for Buncombe County and much of Western North Carolina, with mixed precipitation expected to bring ice and hazardous road conditions Friday night and into the weekend.
Wind gusts of up to 35 miles per hour are also expected in some areas in the northwest part of the state, according to the National Weather Service.
The storm will bring some sleet and light snow that will likely turn to freezing rain in Buncombe. Residents are advised to prepare for slippery roads and limited visibility.
In Transylvania and Henderson Counties and the mountains of Rutherford and Polk Counties, a Winter Storm Warning is in effect from 1 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday. Ice could bring power outages and damage to trees, and travel "could be nearly impossible," according to the weather service.
Residents of those counties are "strongly discouraged" from traveling and should prepare for power outages, NWS said.
A powerful winter storm is expected to hit much of the East Coast later this weekend, in what will likely be the first nor'easter of the year.
Thursday, January 5:
Snow flurries will likely dust Asheville and Buncombe County tomorrow, but the area is expected to avoid the brunt of the winter storm that is heading toward the East Coast this weekend.
According to the National Weather Service, snow and freezing rain in Buncombe County will likely begin late Friday, with lows in the upper 20s. Little or no snow accumulation is expected.
Some parts of Western North Carolina have already received snow, and more is on the way in those areas. A Winter Storm Watch has been issued for late Friday through Saturday afternoon for parts of Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, McDowell, Henderson, Polk, Rutherford and Transylvania Counties.
The snowfall comes as a major winter storm – and potential nor’easter – hits the East Coast this weekend.
It also comes as much of Western North Carolina continues to experience drought conditions, with the westernmost part of the state in severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. In recent months, the drought conditions have contributed to the spread of wildfires throughout the region.
