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It’s another cold morning in the Charlotte region, but forecasters are promising recovery later today before another storm system arrives Tuesday and Wednesday.
That system is expected to bring heavy snow to parts of the North Carolina mountains and farther north into Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland.
The lowest unofficial reading so far Monday morning at Charlotte Douglas International Airport was 24 degrees, but it has been colder in some nearby spots.
At 6:45 a.m., readings included 19 degrees at Albemarle, Lancaster and Matthews, and it was 20 degrees in Rock Hill. Gastonia had a reading of 21 degrees. The “tropical” readings were 27 degrees in Chester and Concord, and 28 in Taylorsville.
Weekend snow has created slippery spots on some mountain roads, and a number of school systems -- Ashe, Avery, Mitchell, Watauga and Yancey counties -- are opening on a two-hour delay Monday.
Meteorologists promise a relatively nice day Monday. Temperatures are expected to climb into the middle 50s in the afternoon. That’s about 8 to 10 degrees better than Sunday’s chilly readings, but it’s also about 5 degrees below the season average.
The next low pressure system is expected to move from the Midwest into the Ohio Valley and across Virginia on Tuesday and Wednesday. Clouds will increase Monday night and Tuesday, and rain is expected to reach Charlotte by Tuesday evening. The rain could be heavy at times before ending Wednesday morning.
In the mountains, the rain will change to snow late Tuesday or early Wednesday, forecasters say. A winter storm watch is posted for the mountains, with accumulations of about 2 to 4 inches forecast for the mountain valleys, and 5 inches or more for higher elevations. The National Weather Service says Asheville could get 2 inches from the storm system.
Much heavier snow is forecast Wednesday across Virginia and Maryland.
Behind the storm system Wednesday, Charlotte is expected to get partial clearing in the late afternoon, with a high in the upper 40s.
Sunshine is predicted to return Thursday, with highs in the low 50s. Temperatures could reach the mid and upper 60s by Sunday, before another cool down arrives next week. The temperatures next week are not expected to be as cold as this week, though.
