A winter storm is headed our way. Could the Charlotte area get snow and ice?
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A storm from the southern Appalachians could coat Charlotte-area roads with ice this weekend, National Weather Service meteorologists said Wednesday.
“This system will bring a chance for a wintry mix of precipitation, with ice accretion possible Friday night into Saturday morning,” according to a hazardous weather outlook bulletin issued by the NWS office in Greer, South Carolina, on Wednesday morning.
The alert covered counties to the north and west of Mecklenburg, including Gaston, Lincoln, Cleveland, Catawba, Iredell and Rowan. Mecklenburg itself was not part of the alert.
A low of 33 degrees is forecast across Mecklenburg County that night, which is why the county wasn’t included in the alert, NWS meteorologist Doug Outlaw told The Charlotte Observer.
“Mecklenburg County is right on the edge” of where ice is expected to blanket roads, Outlaw said.
Ice and rain. What about the roads?
Lincolnton could see .12 inches of ice, and Statesville and western Rowan County .10 inches, he said.
Any accumulations could begin to melt in the hours after sunrise Saturday, Outlaw said.
Overpasses and bridges across the region are most at risk of ice, he said, and drivers should avoid them, he said.
While the latest weather models call for all rain in Mecklenburg, the forecast can always change in the days ahead, Outlaw cautioned.
A separate weather system is expected to dump heavy rains on the county Monday night into Tuesday, Outlaw said. Charlotte could see 2 inches during that deluge, he said.
Charlotte forecast
While turning cloudy Wednesday afternoon, Charlotte should remain mostly sunny throughout the rest of the work week, according to the NWS Charlotte forecast at 10 a.m. Wednesday.
Saturday has a 100% chance of rain, mainly before 3 p.m., the forecast showed. Sunday and Monday should be mostly sunny before another 100% chance of rain arrives on Tuesday. That rain could be heavy at times, according to the forecast.
Highs are expected to drop from 51 on Wednesday to 49 Thursday, 47 Friday and 43 on Saturday. Temps are then expected to warm to 50 on Sunday and 54 Monday.
Charlotte averages a high of 51 degrees in January, according to U.S. Climate Data.com.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
This story was originally published January 3, 2024 at 10:55 AM.