‘Yucky’ weather, rain, wind advisory in Charlotte from Tropical Storm Nicole
Tropical Storm Nicole’s outer-most rain bands have arrived in parts of the Charlotte region, a National Weather Service meteorologist said Thursday.
Some showers could move into Charlotte mainly after 4 p.m., according to the NWS forecast at 1 p.m. Thursday.
Rains should remain steady throughout the day Friday, with a total rainfall from the storm of about 1 1/2 inches in Charlotte. That’s down considerably from National Hurricane Center projections earlier this week of 2 to 4 inches for the Charlotte area.
Rain from Storm Nicole
Some of the very outer bands are in Lancaster County, south of Charlotte in Upstate South Carolina, she said.
“We’re getting some very light showers,” said Trisha Palmer, just before noon. Palmer is the warning coordination meteorologist at the NWS office in Greer, South Carolina.
And although the storm’s heaviest rains aren’t expected in Charlotte until the overnight, Palmer said, Carolina Panthers’ fans might want to take a rain jacket to tonight’s NFL game at Bank of America Stadium.
Thursday night also is expected to be breezy, with Nicole-fueled gusts of around 35 mph, and temps in the low-60s are forecast, Palmer said. That combination could make for a chilly night in the stands, she said.
Wind advisory in Charlotte
The NWS issued a wind advisory for Mecklenburg and surrounding counties from 7 p.m. Thursday until 7 p.m. Friday.
“Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects,” according to the advisory. “Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.”
Charlotte forecast
Palmer said Charlotte can expect “a dreary, yucky day” on Friday.
The sun should finally return on Saturday, according to the NWS Charlotte forecast at 1 p.m. Thursday.
A high of 65 is expected Thursday, 73 Friday, 69 Saturday, 54 Sunday, 51 Monday, 46 Tuesday and 56 Wednesday, NWS meteorologists said.
Tornado threat
Tornadoes pose the greatest threat from the storm in Mecklenburg and surrounding counties on Friday, Palmer said. On a scale of 1 to 5, she said, the risk of a tornado forming stands at 2.
“There is a non-zero risk of tornadoes during the day Friday for Charlotte,” Palmer said, meaning a small risk.
Nicole shifted her aim from Charlotte to the North Carolina mountains early Thursday, according to the latest National Hurricane Center maps.
But don’t let up your guard, National Hurricane Center officials urged.
“Do not focus on the exact track of Nicole since it is a large storm with hazards extending” well beyond the trajectory shown on their maps, National Hurricane Center officials said in a storm advisory at 4 a.m.
Nicole weakened from a hurricane back into a tropical storm after making landfall Wednesday night along the east coast of Florida, National Hurricane Center officials said.
Charlotte was in the bullseye of the storm as recently as Wednesday, but the storm trajectory shifted slightly westward overnight, according to a National Hurricane Center map issued at 4 a.m.
The North Carolina mountains, including the Asheville area, could see 3 to 5 inches of rain from Nicole, and even greater amounts in some spots, Palmer said.
The storm threat prompted American Airlines this week to announce that change flight fees will be waived for fliers to 20 airports in Florida, Georgia, the Bahamas and Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Passengers can reschedule their travel on aa.com or by calling 800-433-7300.
To assist customers in Nicole’s path who choose to evacuate via air, American added reduced, last-minute fares for cities expected to be impacted by the storm.
This story was originally published November 8, 2022 at 4:22 PM.