Winter chill lingers, weekend snow chances rise

Happy Hump Day! Temperatures are much more tolerable this Wednesday morning after the coldest air many have seen in over three years. Lows bottom out in the teens and 20s before sunrise ahead of highs in the 30s and 40s. Skies will vary between partly cloudy and mostly sunny through the remainder of the workweek as temperatures remain 10-15° below average. Much colder air pools in from the north by Saturday as an Arctic ridge of high pressure slides eastward, setting the table for the Carolinas’ third winter storm in as many weekends.

The aforementioned Arctic high will push a stagnant boundary farther south, allowing a developing area of low pressure to ride along it and pick up moisture and energy from the Gulf before swinging back northeast along the Atlantic coast. With cold air likely in place – highs may not get out of the teens & 20s across the WCCB Charlotte viewing area on Saturday – this system will only produce snow for the western half of the Carolinas. The big question is where this storm will track; too far east, much of our area remains dry; but any westward trend could lead to significant snow around the Metro.

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Greenville-Spartanburg currently gives Charlotte a 45% chance of seeing upwards of 3″ of snow between Friday night and Sunday morning, with higher chances to the east. For the record, it’s been over four years since Charlotte last saw an inch of snow in one sitting; it’s been eight years since the Queen City last saw a snow event pile up over 3″. A lot can and will change over the next 72 hours, but the trends are currently a snow-lover’s friend.

Today: AM variable clouds. PM mostly sunny. High: 44°. Wind: W 5-10.

Tonight: Clear and cold. Low: 24°. Wind: NW 5-10.

Thursday: AM sunny. PM variable clouds. High: 42°. Wind: Light.

Thursday Night: Partly cloudy. Remaining cold. Low: 26°. Wind: Light.

Friday: Mostly cloudy. Chilly. High: 44°. Wind: E 5-10.