Plummeting Charlotte temps could kill plants, NWS says. Snow storm to whack mountains
Plummeting Charlotte temperatures could kill unprotected outdoor plants Sunday, National Weather Service meteorologists said Saturday while warning of a snow storm for parts of the N.C. mountains.
Mecklenburg, Union, Cabarrus and Gaston counties can expect a potentially crippling frost on plants from 2 a.m. to 9 a.m. Sunday, forecasters in the NWS Greer, South Carolina, office said on Twitter Saturday morning.
York, Chester and other counties in Upstate South Carolina also fell under the frost advisory.
“Frost could kill sensitive outdoor vegetation if left uncovered,” according to the advisory. “Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold.”
Charlotte could bottom out at 35 degrees before sunrise Sunday, according to the NWS Charlotte forecast at 6 p.m. Saturday.
Sunday should otherwise be sunny in Charlotte with a predicted high of 68 degrees. That would be 11 degrees warmer than Saturday’s forecast high.
Mountain snow, high winds
In a Twitter post titled “Winter’s Last Gasp,” NWS forecasters on Saturday also warned of a potentially crippling snowstorm for parts of the mountains.
At least 4 inches of “heavy snow” was expected to arrive by late Saturday in Swain and Graham counties, where wind gusts of up to 35 mph were predicted to knock out power, according to an NWS winter storm warning issued early Saturday.
“Heavy” snow “will make travel dangerous,” NWS meteorologists said in the warning. “Only travel in an emergency. If you must travel, keep a flashlight, food, water, and a warm blanket in your vehicle in case of an emergency.”
On Sunday, the NWS reported on Twitter that some parts of extreme Western North Carolina saw 4 to 6 inches of snow.
Much of Swain County — Bryson City is the county seat — lies in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in extreme western North Carolina.
The Nantahala National Forest covers 68 percent of Graham County, according to the Graham County Chamber of Commerce. Robbinsville is the county seat of Graham, which is between Swain and Cherokee counties.
Protecting plants
Take these steps to protect your outdoor plants against frost, says Chris Gunter, former N.C. State professor and Extension vegetable specialist:
▪ Keep your plants well watered. “Moist soil retains heat longer and releases it slowly during the cold event,” Gunter writes on the NC State Extension website.
▪ Avoid cultivating the soil before a frost or freeze. That can damage roots, leading to a loss of soil moisture, he said.
▪ Cover plants with a frost cloth. Use waxed paper cups “for overnight protection of small transplants,” Gunter advises.
▪ Check under the plant covers and remove them before temperatures get too high.
Charlotte forecast
Charlotte temperatures are predicted to warm considerably, with forecast highs of 78 Monday, 82 Tuesday, 83 Wednesday and 81 Thursday, the NWS Charlotte forecast showed.
Showers have a 50% chance of creeping in by Friday, although the high that day should hit a comfortable 77 degrees, according to the NWS.
This story was originally published April 9, 2022 at 3:20 PM.