Storm Log for Davidson County and the Piedmont

The log

Winter 2026

Two late-January storms: sleet across the Triad, then deep snow along I-85

"This weekend's winter storms may bring down trees. If one lands on your house, don't hesitate to call us. We'll work with your insurance company to make the process smoother. Our certified crane operator and tree climbers will safely remove the tree, preventing further damage. Please exercise caution and avoid walking near down power lines or parking vehicles under sagging trees."The crew's own storm advisory, posted on the Arbor Aves Facebook page

Two late-January storms are in the NC State Climate Office's record of that winter. The first, on January 24 to 25, brought an inch or more of snow and sleet across the Triad; its outages, at their statewide peak, were mostly in two mountain counties, Henderson and Transylvania.

The Climate Office's snowfall map dates the second storm January 30 to February 1. The post that carries the map says more than a foot of snow fell along the I-85 corridor in parts of Cabarrus, Rowan, Davidson and Guilford counties, with local reports of up to 16 inches in Lexington, and it calls the storm the state's most widespread wintry event in more than a dozen years. Neither post counts trees down or outages in Davidson County.

Once a tree is down, the first hour after a tree comes down turns the advisory's two cautions into steps, in order.

Each entry is a dated record, newest first

A storm log entry covers one storm, or one run of storms, that reached Davidson County or the Triad: its dates, what the NC State Climate Office or the National Weather Service published, and Arbor Aves' own storm advisory if one was posted. Whether a damaged tree needs someone tonight is answered by emergency or Monday job triage.

A watch means possible; a warning means expected or reported

Davidson County sits in the National Weather Service's Raleigh forecast area, whose Hazardous Weather Outlook lists the county among its zones. The definitions below are the Weather Service's national ones; NWS says the local office issues winter watches and warnings on its own criteria.

Winter storm watch: NWS issues one "when conditions are favorable for a significant winter storm event."
Ice storm warning: NWS usually issues one for ice "of around 1/4 inch or more," which it says will "likely lead to snapped power lines and falling tree branches."
Severe thunderstorm warning: NWS issues one when severe weather "has been reported by spotters or indicated by radar"; a watch means severe storms are possible.
Tropical storm warning: NWS says tropical storm conditions, "sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph," are expected in the area; a hurricane warning means "sustained winds of 74 mph or greater" are expected.

Ice, tropical rain and thunderstorm wind break trees differently

Ice breaks limbs by weight. Freezing rain freezes on contact with a cold branch, and the NC State Climate Office says ice a quarter-inch thick is often enough to snap tree limbs; it describes cold-air damming, a shallow layer of cold air wedged against the Appalachians, as the setup that lets precipitation arrive frozen. The NC Forest Service says not to knock ice off branches, because a quick shock makes a branch break more easily. The rest of what the agencies say about ice and trees is gathered in ice storms and Piedmont trees.

During Michael, the NC State Climate Office said, rain ahead of its strongest winds saturated the ground and made trees "even more likely to fall when a strong gust blew through." That is one storm's account; hurricane season in the Piedmont carries the rest.

Thunderstorms come most often in spring and summer, NWS says, and strong winds can turn branches into projectiles. Those seasons are laid out on the tree calendar.

More than one electric provider serves Davidson County, and the bill names yours

A tree on a wire is the utility's call first, and the power bill names the right one. The order to work in meanwhile belongs to the first hour after a tree hits your house, and what each utility says about equipment a tree pulls off a house is on tree on a power line: who to call. The county's providers include:

Duke Energy Carolinas: 800.769.3766 (800.POWERON)
Lexington Utilities, the city's municipal electric system: (336) 248-2337, automated attendant at any hour
EnergyUnited, a cooperative owned by its members: 1-800-386-4833 (1-800-EUNITED)

Lexington and Thomasville set different curb rules for brush

The City of Lexington's yard waste page, as archived in June 2026, says brush "must not exceed" five cubic yards (8 by 4 by 4 feet) within a 30 day period, and tree limbs "should not exceed 5 feet in length or weigh more than 75 pounds." Brush goes neatly at the curb by 6:00 am on collection day. Stumps and logs, brush under wires or blocked by vehicles, brush mixed with other materials, and brush cut from vacant lots "will NOT be collected."

The City of Thomasville's yard debris page, as archived in February 2025, says the city "will not pickup materials generated by a contractor or third party," naming tree cutting and pruning. Large piles of yard waste the owner or resident produced on the property, up to five cubic yards, go on a separate list called in at (336) 475-5547. After significant weather the city says its rules may be relaxed, with changes posted on its website, so its current page decides.

A tree down in this storm, or one that will not make it through the next?

Call (336) 963-8330 Request a Quote

Asked and answered

Questions people actually ask.

What goes into a storm log entry, and what stays out?

A storm log entry holds the storm's dates, what the NC State Climate Office or the National Weather Service published, and Arbor Aves' own storm advisory if one was posted. Tree or outage counts for Davidson County stay out unless a source published them, and so does any forecast.

Does an ice storm warning mean the trees in my yard will break?

No. NWS says the ice behind that warning will likely lead to falling tree branches. Which limbs give way in one yard is not something a warning, or anyone reading it from a distance, can say.

In Thomasville, will the city haul away brush a tree crew cut?

No, according to the City of Thomasville's yard debris page as last archived, which says the city will not pick up material generated by a contractor or third party, naming tree cutting and pruning. Check the city's current page after a big storm, and settle what happens to the wood when the job is quoted.

Who restores a power line that a tree pulled down?

The electric provider whose line it is restores it. In Davidson County the providers include Duke Energy Carolinas, Lexington Utilities and EnergyUnited, and the power bill says which one serves the address.

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The storms that reached Davidson County, written down after they passed.