Janessa Webb

Looking ahead to the weekend, all eyes are on a system moving in from the south and west. Right now, the setup supports the chance that snow will move into the Charlotte area this weekend. While there’s still some wiggle room on exact snowfall totals, the current thinking supports at least an inch of snow for many. Combine that with gusty winds and plunging temperatures, and travel could become tricky from Saturday into Sunday. Area's east of Charlotte Metro appears more favored for accumulation at this point, but light snow is on the table for many as t1he weekend gets underway.

Tonight, and Thursday bring a very slow improvement in temperatures, and even that comes with an asterisk. Afternoon highs will creep into the low to mid-40s, which sounds nice until you remember late January usually feels closer to the low 50s. So yes, it’s progress, just not the kind you really feel.

As we move into the middle of the week, temperatures begin a slow and steady climb with an emphasis on slow. Wednesday and Thursday bring a slightly milder air mass, allowing highs to inch into the low to mid-40s. While that’s technically warmer, it’s still running well below our typical late-January average in the low 50s. Expect a mix of clouds and sunshine during the day, paired with cold mornings as overnight lows hover near 20 degrees. Winter layers remain a daily necessity.

Tuesday morning is when the cold really shows up. Wind chills will dip in and out of the single digits, and actual air temperatures will around 10°. Tuesday morning will be the coldest morning of the week, and not just that, it’s the coldest morning of the season and the coldest we’ve had since December 24, 2022. 

The bigger concerns arrive Saturday night, when more moisture moves in. That’s when conditions start to go downhill quickly. We’re expecting a mix of sleet and snow initially, especially across northern areas, before the precipitation transitions over to freezing rain by Sunday. 

is storm system is expected to arrive Saturday afternoon, then continue into the evening. Location matters on what type of precip. you will see. Parts of the High Country and north of I40 snow will enter to start with the rest of the region seeing sleet.

Wednesday starts cold once again, with morning temperatures in the lower 20s. Despite the chilly start, sunshine will allow the atmosphere to warm-up, pushing afternoon highs to around 50°. This warming is driven by high pressure moving overhead, which brings clear skies and calm conditions.

Winter is definitely making itself known this week. Cold air will be in control for the next several days, with temperatures staying well below what we normally see in January until about midweek. The good news, we’ll have plenty of sunshine, so while it’ll be cold, the days will look bright and even feel pretty nice if you’re bundled up. Tonight, will remain clear and cold, and a good night to go check out the aurora as a big geomagnetic storm is expected after 11pm and into tomorrow morning.