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The threat of freezing rain has ended across the Charlotte region, and next on the meteorological schedule is a two-day warming trend that is expected to end with stormy weather Wednesday.
Forecasters say we’ll be back to more typical winter temperatures by Thursday, after flirting with the 70-degree mark Wednesday.
The National Weather Service had issued an advisory for possible freezing rain Monday morning across the foothills and mountains of North Carolina, but temperatures hovered a degree or two above freezing before daybreak in most of the region. Some icing was reported in the mountains, mostly above 3,500 feet.
A number of school systems in the foothills and mountains had delayed openings Monday, taking a cautious approach with the possibility of ice on the roads.
In Charlotte, the unofficial low Monday morning was 34 degrees. By 10 a.m., readings were above freezing across the region, even in the mountains.
A bit of light rain is possible Monday afternoon in the area, but temperatures are expected to climb near 50 degrees. Much warmer conditions are forecast for Tuesday, and forecasters say that after morning fog dissipates, temperatures will soar into the upper 60s under partly sunny skies.
That will be a far cry from last Friday, when temperatures failed to escape the upper 20s, and Charlotte recorded its coldest day in nine years.
A strong cold front is predicted to cross the region Wednesday, possibly triggering severe weather. The Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla., has included the Charlotte region in a risk area for severe thunderstorms and possible tornadoes.
Temperatures are expected to be near 70 degrees before the storms arrive in the afternoon.
Then it’s back to winter Thursday through Sunday, with daily highs in the middle and upper 40s. Dry weather is expected during that period, however.
