Temperatures slowly recover, weekend winter storm chances rise

Our first morning of the holiday-shortened workweek is off to another frigid start, as lows have dipped into the teens and 20s for a second-straight night. Highs will once again struggle to clear the 30s and 40s, much like they did on Monday, but a steady warm-up builds in as southwesterly winds swell back into the Carolinas. Highs will top out near 50° around the Metro on Wednesday before rising closer to 60° on Thursday. Enjoy the “warmer” times while they last – a powerful Arctic ridge of high pressure will push multiple cold fronts through the Carolinas by Friday, cutting down temperatures and setting the stage for a high-impact winter storm this weekend.

Afternoon temperatures on Friday rise near 50°, meaning any moisture that moves through the Carolinas for our final day of the workweek will fall down as rain, but temperatures quickly drop near freezing overnight into Saturday as a robust storm system approaches from the southwest. Medium-range models suggest that there will be a lull in the precipitation between Friday evening and Saturday morning before snow and sleet push into the WCCB Charlotte viewing area by Saturday afternoon.

Confidence is high that we’ll see a multi-day, high-impact winter storm impact the Carolinas between Saturday afternoon and Sunday evening. All precipitation modes – snow, sleet, freezing rain – are on the table right now, and this system will have no problem producing moisture. Another blast of cold air behind this system will keep any accumulated frozen precipitation on exposed surfaces for days. Stay weather-wise! We’ll keep you updated as the forecast becomes clearer.

Today: Chilly sunshine. High: 47°. Wind: NW 5-10.

Tonight: Clear and cold. Low: 22°. Wind: Light.

Wednesday: AM cold sunshine. PM variable clouds. High: 51°. Wind: SW 5-15.

Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy. Milder. Low: 38°. Wind: SW 5-150.

Thursday: Variable clouds with a stray shower. Warmer. High: 58°. Wind: SW 5-10.