Brace for coldest day yet this season in Charlotte – with a low of 16, NWS says

An Arctic air mass is expected to reach the Charlotte area on Sunday, resulting in temperatures low enough to cause pipes to freeze and burst.

Charlotte’s low Sunday night will be 16 degrees and the high Monday will be 38 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. Lows will remain below freezing Monday night (21 degrees) and Tuesday night (30 degrees), forecasters say.

It will be even colder in Rock Hill, with a low of 14 degrees expected Sunday night.

The mountains will see weather extremes that qualify as dangerous, with a low of 3 degrees Sunday night in Newland and 5 in Boone. Winds chills in the mountains could hit 0 to minus 10 degrees, the NWS says.

Water pipes can freeze and expand “when the outdoor temperature threatens to drop to 20 degrees Fahrenheit,” experts say. The longer the temperature stays below 20, the greater the risk of pipes freezing and bursting.

“The Arctic air mass spills into the area Sunday and Sunday night, bringing strong wind gusts over the mountains and elevated winds gusts east of the mountains,” the National Weather Service said in a Dec. 12 statement.

“These winds usher in the coldest air of the season. Confidence is increasing that the entire area drops into the mid to lower teens east of the mountains and single digits in the mountains. With the added wind gusts, temperatures will feel even colder, as values dip below zero at the higher elevations Sunday night.”

Mountain wind gusts associated with the front could top 40 mph, forecasters say.

The cold air will exit mid-week, prompting a rise into the 50s and 60s during the day and above freezing lows at night.

This story was originally published December 12, 2025 at 5:52 AM.