CHARLOTTE, NC — It’s been years since we have seen measurable snow in Charlotte, but duke energy says it is fully prepared for the coming storm. A mixture of snow, sleet and rain could cause power outages throughout the area.  The power company said it works on grid improvements throughout the year to help avoid outages and restore power faster when outages occur.  Those improvements include tree trimming around power lines, pole and line upgrades, and installing smart, self-healing technology.   Despite the upgrades one of the biggest challenges to overcome is ice. “What we’re really watching is that quarter of an inch of ice  and, you know, our meteorologists are telling us it could be a quarter of an inch of ice if it’s under that. It really won’t be that big of a deal for us. If it hits that quarter of an inch, that’s when we’re going to start to see the outages,” Duke Energy spokesperson Logan Stewart said.  Customers are encouraged to come up with a plan in the event they lose power.