Freeze alerts as temperatures plummet Tuesday night

AM Headlines:

• Freeze Warning
  • 4am – 9am Wednesday: Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Alexander, Lincoln, Iredell, Rowan, Stanly
• Cool and Breezy Tuesday
• Dry, Sunny Midweek
• Late Week Rain Returns

A strong cold front clear out the rain overnight, and is ushering in much colder and drier air. A deep upper level trough has dropped over the eastern US, which is pulling in cooler air from the Great Lakes and Canada. This will make it feel like late February rather than early April with breezy northwest winds and highs topping out in the upper 50s to lower 60s.

A Freeze Warning will go into effect tonight through 9am Wednesday for the Foothills and Northern Piedmont — including Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Iredell, Lincoln and Stanly counties. Temperatures will drop into the upper 20s to lower 30s, cold enough to damage sensitive plants. With clear skies and dry air in place, radiational cooling will send temperatures free falling after sunset. Cover plants, disconnect hoses and don’t forget to bring in the pets.  Even outside of the warning area, patchy frost will be possible. The 30 year average last frost in Charlotte is April 12. The mountains will be even colder, but because they are not in growing season, there is no warning for the higher elevations.

High pressure will build in keeping skies clear and humidity low through Wednesday. Temps remain cool with highs in the low to mid 60s and and lows in the upper 30s to low 40s. Temperatures will finally regulate back toward 70 by Thursday, but clouds will fill in and our next system will track in late Thursday into Friday. Some guidance is hinting at a secondary low forming along a cold front that will be moving into the region. This could interact with the primary northern low over the Ohio Valley — not a true Fujiwhara effect — but the interaction could shift the timing and coverage of rain. Right now keeping the rain scattered with a few rumbles of thunder Friday.