Warmer & windier Tuesday, major cold snap lurks ahead

Our second Tuesday of 2026 is off to another chilly start, but temperatures warm up nicely near 60° this afternoon as sunny skies and southwesterly winds take control of the Carolinas. Expect more of the same on Wednesday, although clouds will build in later in the day as a cold front sweeps in from the northwest. The incoming system won’t have much moisture associated with it; while scattered rain and snow showers likely roll through the High Country overnight Wednesday into Thursday, not much will make it past the Continental Divide. That said, a stray rain shower or snow flurry could find its way into the Piedmont early Thursday morning.

Regardless of whether or not we see anything Thursday morning, much colder air sinks its teeth into the WCCB Charlotte viewing area by the afternoon. Highs will struggle to clear the 20s and 30s across the board for our penultimate day of the workweek as the coldest air we’ve seen so far this year arrives by Friday morning. Lows will bottom out near 20° around the Metro as we wake up on Friday as wind chills approach 0° in the High Country. Highs bounce back into the 50s across the Piedmont and Foothills on Saturday before another cold front brings another shot of Arctic air on Sunday.

With cold air solidly in place as we wrap up MLK weekend, all snow-lovers need is a storm system to develop to our southwest. Unfortunately for flake fans, medium-range models have backed off from any such development for now. We’ll keep you weather-wise should that change over the coming days.

Today: Comfy sunshine. Breezy. High: 60°. Wind: SW 5-15. Gusts: 20+

Tonight: Mostly clear. A bit milder. Low: 40°. Wind: SW 5-15.

Wednesday: Remaining mild. Clouds build in the afternoon. High: 58°. Wind: SW 5-15. Gusts: 20+

Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy with a stray shower or flurry late. Low: 30°. Wind: NW 5-15.

Thursday: Cold sunshine. Brisk. High: 38°. Wind: NW 10-20. Gusts: 25+