Early NWS projections show 1 inch of snow for Charlotte. Here’s the latest forecast
Charlotte could see more than an inch of snow as part of a wintry mix this weekend, a National Weather Service meteorologist said Tuesday.
The weather could bring Charlotte’s first measurable snow in three years.
“The snow should begin around 2 or 3 in the afternoon (Friday), and it’s not going to stay on the ground at first, with temperatures in the upper 30s,” NWS meteorologist Doug Outlaw told The Charlotte Observer.
The snow should stick as temperatures drop below freezing overnight, he said.
An inch of snow is forecast Friday night. One-tenth of an inch is forecast early Saturday, he said.
Freezing rain should mix with the snow beginning at about 11 or 11:30 p.m. Friday, Outlaw said.
The snow and freezing rain are predicted to continue until about 9 or 9:30 a.m. Saturday, when the thermostat is expected to rise above freezing, 32 degrees, he said.
By 10 a.m. Saturday, mainly rain is forecast, and the precipitation should move from the region by 1 p.m, Outlaw said.
“There’s still a lot that could change, but that’s what we have right now,” Outlaw said at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday about the forecast.
Charlotte forecast
Charlotte has a 90% chance of snow and sleet on Friday night before 11 p.m., sleet between 11 p.m. and midnight and freezing rain during the overnight, according to the NWS Charlotte forecast a 9 a.m. Wednesday.
The freezing rain should end by 7 a.m. Saturday, with mostly sunny skies returning for the day, the forecast showed.
Expect frigid temperatures all week, with highs in the low-40s and lows in the 20s and high teens, the forecast showed.
Charlotte’s last measurable snow
Charlotte last saw a measurable snow on Jan. 21, 2022, which followed another snow on Jan. 16 that year, NWS meteorologist Patrick Moore told the Observer last week.
A “measurable snow” for Charlotte means at least a tenth of an inch, he said. A Dec. 3 snow in Charlotte was not enough to break the drought, Moore said. Higher amounts fell that day to the north of Charlotte, including the Lake Norman area.
This is a developing story.
This story was originally published January 7, 2025 at 11:10 AM.