Severe storms could strike Charlotte Sunday with gusty and damaging winds, NWS says
“Strong to severe storms” with damaging straight-line winds could whip across the Charlotte region on Sunday, National Weather Service forecasters warned.
Intense thunderstorms are most likely at night, with gusts up to 21 mph, according to meteorologists in the NWS office in Greer, South Carolina.
“Confidence is increasing for the chance of showers and thunderstorms on Sunday,” the Greer office said on Twitter. “A line of strong to severe storms capable of producing cloud-to-ground lightning and damaging straight-line winds, especially over western North Carolina.”
Blame thunderstorms that developed over the Ohio River Valley early Sunday, NWS meteorologists said in a hazardous weather bulletin just after 6:30 a.m. Sunday.
Storms are predicted to “advance quickly southeastward through the day,” according to the alert. “Some uncertainty exists in the track of the storms, but they could cross the western Carolinas and northeast Georgia Sunday afternoon and evening.”
“Strong, gusty winds” pose the greatest threat, forecasters warned in the bulletin.
The warning area includes Mecklenburg and surrounding counties, Upstate South Carolina and the Carolinas’ mountains.
Charlotte forecast
As of 9 a.m. Sunday, the chance of severe weather in metro Charlotte stood at a less-than-even 30%, with the same 30% chance forecast for Monday night and a 40% chance Tuesday, according to the NWS Charlotte forecast.
Sunday should be sunny with a high of 81, the forecast showed. Monday has a 60% chance of rain and a predicted high of 85, according to the NWS office.
Tuesday could grow hotter, with an expected high of 88, NWS meteorologists said. Highs should then quickly fall, to 81 Wednesday and 79 Thursday under partly to mostly sunny skies, before rising to 80 Friday and 84 Saturday, according to the forecast.
This story was originally published May 6, 2023 at 6:32 PM.