Charlotte forecast to hit record low

Charlotte was expected to hit a record low of 24 degrees early Sunday, surpassing the previous March 29 mark of 26 degrees set in 2013, National Weather Service climatologist John Tomko said.

A freeze warning remains in effect until 11 a.m. Sunday for the entire Charlotte region, until temperatures gradually climb.

The warning issued by the National Weather Service means sub-freezing temperatures will kill crops and other sensitive vegetation.

“There’s a big trough in the East,” Tomko said “It’s normal to have a trough in the winter, but we’re in a transition now, so we shouldn’t generally see as strong a trough as we see now.”

A “trough” is low pressure in the upper atmosphere, Tomko said.

The good news? “We’re expecting to transition out of this to above-normal (temperatures) by mid-week,” Tomko said.

Temperatures are expected to warm into the 50s by Sunday afternoon, with a high of 55 forecast for Charlotte Douglas International Airport under sunny skies.

The low Sunday night is expected to recover to 42 degrees and improve even more to predicted lows of 45 Monday night, 50 Tuesday night and 54 Wednesday night.

Highs are expected to rebound to 64 Monday, 68 Tuesday at 73 Wednesday. Monday is the only day with a chance of showers.

This story was originally published March 28, 2015 at 5:45 PM with the headline "Charlotte forecast to hit record low."