It’s been a while, but Charlotte might get snow. Would you love to see it or hate it?
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Winter weather in Charlotte
The latest weather news and how to prepare.
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Charlotte’s chance of a sizeable snowfall this weekend would end a drought of more than 1,100 days since the Queen City has seen more than an inch of the fluffy stuff.
The city’s last substantial snowfall occurred over three years ago, when 2.9 inches fell Dec. 8-9, 2018, meteorologist Patrick Moore of the National Weather Service office in Greer, S.C., said.
Typically, less than a tenth of an inch has fallen whenever it has snowed the past three years, according to Moore.
The prospect of a couple of inches or more falling on Saturday night — it was too early to predict how much, if any will fall, the NWS said — had people on social media all abuzz.
“YESSSSSSSSSSSS,” a woman posted on the Charlotte 5 Instagram page.
“YES. Then I’d feel justified staying in my pj’s all day under a blanket, sipping hot chocolate & reading,” another woman quipped..
Others would rather it stay in Buffalo.
“Nope, no, nuh-uhn, don’t want it, no thanks,” a woman posted.
Still others were dubious.
“It will never happen,” one doubter posted.
“Slush we’ll get slush,” another person predicted.
Some were downright sarcastic.
“Be sure to buy your milk, eggs, and bread,” a man posted.
Reacting to all of the online hoopla, another man urged calm. “Settle down,” he advised.
Predictions vary
Charlotte could see a “decent” snow this weekend, and then again, nary a trace might fall, Moore said.
“It is way too early” to predict, he said.
“There’s still a lot of inconsistency between the various computer guideline modelings,” Moore said. “There’s a worst case and a best case. ‘Nothing happening’ is an equal chance to ‘something happening.’”
The NWS considers a significant snowfall for Charlotte to be 4 or more inches, he said.
Moore declined to say how much possible snowfall the “decent chance” could deliver.
The NWS will update its Charlotte forecast by about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.
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Charlotte weather forecast
The NWS Charlotte forecast at 3 p.m. Tuesday calls for a 30-40% chance of snow showers on Saturday and a 50% chance of precipitation Sunday morning and early afternoon, with skies otherwise mostly cloudy with a predicted overnight low of 24 degrees.
Rain could fall before falling temps bring the chance of the snow showers Sunday night, according to the NWS.
Snow in Charlotte
Charlotte’s record snowfall stands at 17.4 inches, set Feb. 14-17, 1902, NWS records show. That included 14 inches on Feb. 15, according to the NWS records.
Huge snow dumps in more recent times include the 13.2 inches on Feb. 26-27, 2004; 8.5 inches on Jan. 23, 2003; and 8.4 inches Feb. 11-13, 2014, Moore said.
Social media reacts
Residents who posted on social media about possible snow in Charlotte both welcomed it and told it to stay away:
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This story was originally published January 11, 2022 at 2:55 PM.
