Charlotte is likely to see snow Thursday, forecasters say. Here’s the latest on storm.
The Charlotte area can expect up to an inch-and-a-half of snow Thursday from a winter storm moving into the Carolinas, National Weather Service meteorologists said Wednesday afternoon.
Snow is likely to fall after 1 p.m., with mostly rain falling Thursday morning, forecasters said in a winter weather advisory update.
The Charlotte Mecklenburg schools system is letting students out of classes 3 hours early Thursday and all after school activities are canceled due snow forecast Thursday afternoon, the district said early Thursday.
“One half to one inch is possible in and around Charlotte into northern portion of the Upstate of South Carolina,” NWS meteorologists said in a 3 p.m. update.
Thursday night at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, rain and snow are likely before midnight, then a slight chance of snow between midnight and 2 a.m. Friday, forecasters said Wednesday night. Less than a half inch of additional snow is expected Thursday night, according to the National Weather Service.
The chance of rain and then snow during the day Thursday stands at 90%. The chance of snow at night is 60%.
Nearby cities see substantially more snow, according to the NWS: Up to 3 1/2 inches in Lincolnton, Hickory and Salisbury, and 2 1/2 inches in Gastonia and Statesville. Concord and Monroe could see up to 1 1/2 inches.
Hickory Public Schools and Catawba County Schools announced they will be closed to students Thursday due to the weather. Iredell-Statesville Schools will operate on an early-release schedule.
Blame a cold Canadian high pressure system for the expected colder temperatures on Thursday — a high of 41 is forecast.
At the same time, moisture is expected to track east along the Gulf Coast on Thursday, bringing the rain and snow, NWS forecasters said.
With a forecast low of 27 degrees late Thursday and early Friday, some freezing is possible, forecasters said.
On Friday, the low is expected to be 25 degrees and on Saturday 30 degrees, but precipitation is not expected, according to the NWS.
This story was originally published February 19, 2020 at 6:08 AM.