It’s not 2 inches, but Charlotte could still see snow Friday. Here’s the latest forecast.
In a move sure to disappoint snow lovers, the National Weather Service on Thursday lowered its prediction of how much could fall across the region Friday.
But temperatures are expected to plummet overnight, and the possibility of lingering ice prompted Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to switch to remote learning for Friday. Other area districts, including Iredell-Statesville and Fort Mill, S.C., also changed their Friday schedules.
Forecasters originally predicted as much as 2 inches of snow in Charlotte, and nearly 3 inches in northeast Union County.
But the models calling for the greatest snowfall shifted east of the region late Wednesday and early Thursday, with just a half-inch now expected to blanket parts of Mecklenburg and Cabarrus counties, including metro Charlotte, meteorologist Andrew Kimball of the NWS office in Greer, S.C., said Thursday morning.
Up to an inch is forecast for Monroe and other areas of Union County, Kimball said.
Winter weather advisory
A winter weather advisory remained in effect for three counties in the region — Union and Cabarrus in North Carolina and Chester in South Carolina. The advisory begins at 1 a.m. Friday and lasts until 7 a.m. Saturday.
The worst of the wintry weather is expected in Eastern North Carolina, Gov. Roy Cooper said at a news conference Thursday, especially the southeastern part of the state.
Cooper said he declared a state of emergency and that 114 National Guard soldiers have been deployed to central and eastern parts of the state. A quarter-inch of ice is expected in the Jacksonville, Wilmington and New Bern areas, he said.
In Charlotte, little to no accumulation is expected Friday morning and afternoon and just up to a half-inch after sundown, according to Kimball.
Charlotte has a slim 30% chance of snow showers Friday morning and afternoon and a 40% chance of snow after sundown, according to the NWS forecast. Winds could gust up to 20 mph.
Some black ice may form Friday night and early Saturday on Charlotte roads, posing the only threat from the storm, Kimball said.
Frigid temps forecast
Friday’s snow prospects may pale to this weekend’s expected cold: A low of 18 is predicted early Saturday and 21 early Sunday and 25 early Monday, the NWS forecast shows.
Highs of 29 and 38 are forecast Friday and Saturday.
Saturday, Sunday and Monday should be sunny, before a 40% chance of showers returns Tuesday and a chance of snow showers after sundown Tuesday, according to the NWS forecast.
Kimball said the NWS expects any snow showers that night to move quickly through the region, “so little or no accumulation is expected.” “
This story was originally published January 20, 2022 at 8:41 AM.