In the High Country a different pattern is developing with a Winter Weather Advisory in place starting tomorrow afternoon into early Saturday. Snow is expected through the day on Friday, where some spots could pick up around 1 to 2 inches of snow, and even higher totals likely at our ski areas. As of now, there are no widespread winter weather watches or advisories in place for the lower elevations.
Thursday morning may start with a stray flurry, but otherwise it’s just cold and cloudy. We stay dry through the day, and while 40 degrees is possible, most neighborhoods will likely spend the afternoon in the mid to upper 30s. We may catch a little sunshine late in the day as clouds begin to thin out.
Wednesday will be unsettled from start to finish. We’ll wake up to cloudy skies and scattered showers around the area, but the bigger story is what happens later in the day. Rain becomes more widespread during the afternoon.
Over the next couple of days, melting will continue across areas, especially where the sun can reach it. Shadier spots, as usual, will be slower to let go. Tonight we'll stay mostly clear with calm winds in the lower 20s. By Tuesday those higher elevations should finally break above freezing, with temperatures continuing to trend upward. Tuesday ends up being the warmest day in the short term, with many lower-elevation spots reaching the upper 40s to low 50s.
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.
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