‘Winter’ storm to bring snow, ice and sleet near Charlotte, NWS meteorologists say
A winter storm could dump snow, sleet and ice on roads just to the north of Mecklenburg County early Wednesday, although it’s not officially winter yet, National Weather Service meteorologists said.
Iredell, Lincoln, Catawba and Rowan counties can expect up to an inch of snow and sleet and as much as two-tenths of an inch of ice from midnight to 6 a.m., forecasters in the NWS office in Greer, S.C., said in a winter weather advisory Tuesday morning.
“Plan on slippery road conditions,” according to the advisory. ”The hazardous conditions could impact the morning or evening commute.”
Due to expected icy conditions, Iredell-Statesville Schools announced a two-hour delay for students and staff on Wednesday. High school students with exams on Wednesday should wait for direction from their school.
Lincoln County Schools will be on a three-hour delay for students and a two-hour delay for staff, while Newton-Conover Schools will switch to virtual learning, and Caldwell County Schools has canceled classes for the day.
Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Gaston and Union counties should be spared the wintry mix, but just barely, meteorologists said.
An overnight low of 33 degrees is predicted at Charlotte’s airport, according to the latest NWS forecast at 8 a.m. Tuesday. That’s just a degree above freezing, when snow forms.
Charlotte has a 100% chance of rain on Wednesday, with a high of only 39 degrees, according to the NWS.
Skies should turn partly sunny on Thursday, with a high of 47 degrees. Friday should be sunny with a high of 48 and Saturday mostly sunny with a high of 50 forecast.
Charlotte’s historic average high in winter is 50 degrees, according to the NWS. Winter officially begins on Monday, Dec. 21.
This story was originally published December 15, 2020 at 8:02 AM.