Dusting a prelude to bigger storm

Another round of snow flurries and sleet fell across parts of the Charlotte region on Wednesday, though many forecasters are keeping an eye on a bigger storm system that could bring freezing rain, snow and sleet later this week.

The Charlotte metro area will be on the edge of a transition zone between rain and freezing rain on Friday, meteorologists say.

Most of the area will see some form of precipitation. Charlotte could see rain, freezing rain and sleet before noon Friday, according to the National Weather Service. Charlotte could see one-tenth of an inch to one-third of an inch of ice by Friday night and freezing rain, snow and sleet early Saturday. The precipitation is forecast to taper off Saturday afternoon.

Complicating matters, the first big storm of the season coincides with the biggest weekend of the Carolina Panthers’ season. That means thousands of football fans will brave slick roads on the way to Bank of America Stadium.

A winter storm watch is in effect for nearly the entire Charlotte region from midnight Thursday to 7 p.m. Saturday in anticipation of the next system that’s headed this way. A winter weather advisory was scheduled to expire at 7 a.m. Thursday for some counties in the Charlotte region, including Catawba, Cleveland, Lincoln, Iredell and Rowan. Up to an inch of snow was expected.

As the bigger storm approaches, it will likely produce ice to the north of the metro area, including Iredell and Rowan counties, said Patrick Moore, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. The ice could be thick enough to down tree branches and power lines, he said.

Panthers fans driving from the mountains Saturday to arrive a day early for Sunday’s NFC Championship Game against the Arizona Cardinals will encounter slick roads, said Scott Krentz, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

So far, Mecklenburg County got a dusting of snow through late Wednesday, although the high only reached 38 degrees, far below the average high of 50 degrees. At 2:30 p.m., freezing rain was falling on Interstate 77 in Cornelius and Davidson at Lake Norman.

On Wednesday, N.C. Department of Transportation crews placed brine on interstates, state and federal highways and other heavily traveled roads in Alexander, Catawba, Cleveland, Gaston, Iredell and Lincoln counties, N.C. DOT spokeswoman Jordan-Ashley Walker said. Brine, a 23 percent salt-and-water solution, helps prevent ice from bonding to pavement.

The Charlotte Department of Transportation treated city bridges on Wednesday with brine in anticipation of the bad weather over the next few days, spokeswoman Linda Durrett said.

Crews also were brining culverts on city streets, select roads and hospital entrances, she said.

Thursday, temperatures should improve to a high of 45 under mostly cloudy skies, but then the more severe weather is expected to arrive.

A mix of freezing rain, snow and sleet is forecast for Friday night and early Saturday, with the chance of precipitation diminishing during the day.

After the precipitation falls, Saturday night should be mostly cloudy, with the sun returning on Sunday.

Expected highs will jump from 40 Saturday to 47 Sunday, near 50 Monday and 54 Tuesday.

Staff photographer John D. Simmons contributed.

This story was originally published January 20, 2016 at 6:47 AM with the headline "Dusting a prelude to bigger storm."