Cold weather advisory for Charlotte warns of 6 degree wind chills, 30 mph gusts

Wind chills in the Charlotte region could turn dangerous after sunset Sunday, Dec. 14, prompting a cold weather advisory, according to the National Weather Service.

An arctic cold front will reach the region late Sunday, “ushering in bitterly cold temperatures,” gusts of 20 to 30 mph and wind chills of 6 degrees to 10 degrees.

In the mountains, the front is expected to produce single-digit lows and wind chills of 15 to 20 degrees below zero, NWS say.

“The wind chill temperature is how cold people and animals feel when outside. Wind chill is based on the rate of heat loss from exposed skin caused by wind and cold,” the NWS says.

“As the wind increases, it draws heat from the body, driving down skin temperature and eventually the internal body temperature. Therefore, the wind makes it feel much colder. If the temperature is 0°F and the wind is blowing at 15 mph, the wind chill is -19°F. At this wind chill temperature, exposed skin can freeze in 30 minutes.”

The cold weather advisory covers Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Gaston and Union counties from 5 p.m. Sunday through 9 a.m. Monday, forecasters say. Advisories are issued for dangerously cold conditions.

Monday is expected to be the coldest day of the season yet for the Charlotte region.

A low of 16 degrees is forecast Sunday night with 24 mph gusts. The high Monday will reach only 38 degrees, forecasters say.

Water in pipes can freeze and expand when exposed to temperatures of 20 degrees for a few hours, experts say.

“Very cold temperatures can lead to hypothermia with prolonged exposure,” the advisory noted. “Use caution while traveling outside. Wear appropriate clothing, a hat, and gloves.”

The low Monday night will be 24 degrees, but a warmup will start Tuesday, raising lows above freezing the remainder of the week, forecasters say.