Wintry weather has been missing in action this season, but it will make a three-day return appearance this weekend in the Carolinas.

However, the chances of snow in some parts of the western Carolinas on Tuesday morning are fading rapidly.

A shot of very cold air out of Canada is forecast to push into the Charlotte region Saturday morning, and it could produce the chilliest temperatures so far this season. Lows on Sunday morning will be in the upper teens in much of the region.

Accompanying the cold air will be a period of snow in the northwest North Carolina mountains, with several inches likely to fall Saturday.

The period of cold air is expected to end Tuesday, as a low pressure system approaches the area. On Thursday, National Weather Service meteorologists had mentioned the chance of precipitation starting as snow in the foothills and mountains, but the system now is predicted to arrive a bit later than first thought.

That means temperatures likely will be above freezing, so the precipitation is expected to fall as rain in all but the mountains.

In addition, said forecaster Scott Krentz of the Weather Service, precipitation will be very light with the system.

Computer models indicate that once temperatures begin moderating Tuesday, they will remain mild through at least the end of the month.

Before that happens, though, we'll have to contend with a winter-like weekend.

Clouds are increasing across the Charlotte area today, but that is due to a low pressure system off the Carolinas coast. That system could spread a bit of light rain into Charlotte, with precipitation most likely to the south and east of the city.

Saturday will start with sunshine, and forecasters say temperatures will climb into the upper 40s -- until the cold front races through the region around mid to late morning. Winds will shift out of the northwest and become gusty, from 20 to 25 mph. And temperatures will drop steadily, through the 40s during the afternoon.

While all this is happening in the Piedmont, it will be much more wintry in the mountains.

Snow is expected to begin in the morning and continue until the evening hours. Current forecasts call for 1 to 3 inches' accumulation in the northwest mountains, especially along the Tennessee border. But 3 to 5 inches could fall in the higher elevations. Accompanying the snow will be winds gusting to 40 mph and wind chills of 5 to 10 degrees below zero.

Morning lows Sunday will be in the upper teens, and despite full sunshine during the day, highs are only expected to reach 40 degrees.

After another cold morning Monday, with lows around 20 degrees, temperatures are predicted to moderate during the day, possibly reaching 50 degrees in Charlotte.

That sets the stage for the arrival of the weak low pressure system early Tuesday. If the precipitation reaches Charlotte before daybreak, forecasters say, it could fall as snow for a brief time before changing to rain. But the trend in the forecast over the past 24 hours has been to delay the start of the rain.