Thunderstorms settle over Charlotte region after Tornado Warning expires, NWS says
A Tornado Warning has expired for the Charlotte area, but severe thunderstorms will linger for several hours, the National Weather Service reported Monday.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Emergency Management reports there is evidence of “a possible tornado touchdown in Charlotte” and the damage is being investigated by the National Weather Service. Details of a location were not released.
Duke Energy reports about 4,000 customers were left without power after the storm front crossed the region, including about 2,000 in Charlotte.
The front is credited with ripping the roof off a building in Gaffney, South Carolina, earlier in the morning, according to WYFF. The area was under a Tornado Warning at the time.
Showers and breezy conditions will continue until around 2 p.m. Monday, including gusts as high as 40 mph, the NWS says. Up to a half an inch of rain may fall during the day.
“This line moves into our area this morning and quickly moves east by this afternoon,” the NWS says. “An area of generally light showers will move in behind the line and remain over the area into the afternoon before the cold front moves through.”
The cold front will drop temperatures by nearly 30 degrees during the day, from a high in the upper 60s to a low near 29 degrees Monday night, officials say. Wind gusts of up to 35 mph will remain a concern in the Charlotte area though the evening.
Highs on Tuesday and Wednesday will be in the upper 40s, while nightly lows will near or below freezing through Wednesday night, the NWS reports.
Charlotte Douglas International Airport ground stop issued: FAA
The FAA has issued a ground stop Monday at Charlotte’s airport amid a threat of severe storms and a tornado warning in the region.
Around 10 a.m., the tracking site FlightAware reported 303 cancellations and 159 delays at the terminal, for a total of 462 flight disruptions at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
The ground stop was issued at 8:29 a.m. and lasts at least until 10 a.m., the FAA said. Monday’s storm also impacted the Atlanta region, with a ground stop issued for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
This story was originally published March 16, 2026 at 5:38 AM.