Snowfall in mountains, rain headed to Charlotte area, several schools closed

Snow is falling in the mountains, causing school delays and making Wednesday a First Alert weather day.

Avery and Mitchell County Schools are closed. Watauga County Schools are operating on a two-hour delay.

Our Kristen Hampton was at Beech Mountain early Wednesday morning, where snow can be seen covering the roadways.

For the Charlotte-area, a low-pressure system is moving in and will bring rain just in time for your morning commute. If you're heading out to work or school, plan for a wet trip.

A First Alert Day has been issued for the first half of today. For the mountains, winter precipitation could be an issue. The highest mountains could see 1-3" of sleet and snow, meteorologist Al Conklin says. The lower elevations in Ashe, Avery and Watauga County could possibly see 0.5"-1" during the morning. As of now, no watches or advisories have been issued.

The precipitation is expected be moving out by midday and the afternoon should clear out. Highs will be cooler than recent days, in the seasonal mid 50s. Thursday will be another sunny but cool day with highs again in the mid 50s following morning lows in the cold 20s and 30s.

Another warming trend begins on Friday and lasts through the weekend. With mainly dry conditions, highs will be in the mid 60s Friday and Saturday and back in the 70s starting on Sunday in Charlotte.

This story was originally published February 15, 2017 at 6:25 AM with the headline "Snowfall in mountains, rain headed to Charlotte area, several schools closed."