North Carolina mountains could see snow this weekend, days after 85-degree highs

In a show of weather extremes, North Carolina’s mountains are going from highs in the 80s to a chance of snow in a matter of days, according to the National Weather Service.

A freeze warning goes into effect late Friday for the mountains, and forecasters say rain could turn to snow after dark. Temperatures will fall to freezing, but “little or no snow accumulation (is) expected,” NWS forecasters say.

The rest of North Carolina, including Charlotte and Raleigh, will see only a chance of rain from the same cold front, and temperatures in the 30s Saturday night, forecasters say.

By contrast, much of the state saw highs in the mid 80s earlier in the week, according to AccuWeather.

An indication of what’s ahead is already being felt on Mount Mitchell — the “highest point east of the Mississippi at 6,684 feet“ — which reported a low of 22 on Thursday, according to Mount Mitchell State Park.

The sudden shift from spring back to winter is blamed on a Canadian air mass that will usher in a 60% chance of rain and temperatures 15 degrees below normal, the NWS says.

Western North Carolina has a 40% chance of snow Friday night and a 20% chance Saturday morning, NWS forecasters say. Meanwhile, mountain lows in the 30s are expected Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.

The coldest temperatures for Western N.C. will be Saturday, with a low of 32 and a high of only 55 degrees, forecasters say.

However, AccuWeather is predicting it will be slightly colder, with a low of 28 degrees Saturday, and temperatures in the 30s at night through Tuesday.

This story was originally published May 7, 2020 at 9:36 AM.