Saturday starts with a weak front sliding through our region. The big thing to know here is moisture is lacking, so most of the rain struggles to survive as it moves east. The mountains may squeeze out a little accumulation, but around Charlotte Metro and areas east, it’s mainly a cloudy start with perhaps a few spotty drops that never really amount to much.
Friday looks quiet but remains cold. Skies stay sunny to mostly sunny, which helps temperatures reach the upper 40s by the afternoon. Even with the sunshine, it won’t feel comfortable with wind chills in the 30s, so its still layers are your friend weather.
Tonight, as snow moves into the mountains, strong winds will quickly follow behind this powerful cold front. A Wind Advisory is in effect for the High Country from tonight through Thursday. Wind gusts could reach 45 to 60 mph, strong enough to cause minor tree damage and isolated power outages
Our attention then turns to Wednesday, when colder air and a storm system move in. Snow is expected to begin Wednesday afternoon in the highest mountain elevations along the Tennessee border. The most meaningful snowfall and travel impacts will stay mainly above 3,500 feet, while mountain valleys and nearby cities may see little to no accumulation.
The chill is short lived with highs climbing back into the mid to upper 50s Tuesday, with overnight lows a little warmer Tuesday night. The air east of the mountains is super dry, around 25 to 30 percent humidity, with light winds keeping fire risk high. By Tuesday afternoon, humidity will creep up a little as southwest winds bring in some moisture, but overall it’s still pretty calm.
Heaviest Rain in the Mountains The steadiest and heaviest rain will fall across the mountains, with these areas seeing 1 to 2 inches of rain, with a few isolated spots pushing closer to 3 inches. Even with those higher totals, flooding concerns remain low since the region has been very dry recently. Outside of the mountains, rainfall amounts will generally range from about a half inch to one inch. Any Severe Weather? While the atmosphere will have strong winds, there won’t be much energy near the ground to support widespread severe storms. Because of that, most storms should stay below severe limits. One isolated stronger storm can’t be ruled out, mainly along and south of the I-85 corridor, where a little more instability may develop. All in all, severe weather is not expected to be widespread or long-lasting. Showers will taper off fairly quickly Saturday evening as the cold front moves east of the area.
As we head into Friday expect a mix of sunshine and clouds, with afternoon highs in the upper 60s to low 70s. Temperatures will depend on cloud cover. More sunshine could push highs into the low to mid-70s, while extra clouds may keep things closer to the upper 60s. I'm sticking with tomorrow being our best chance of beating a record for Charlotte Metro. A few spotty showers are possible late Friday afternoon and evening, but many areas stay dry. Southwest winds will keep the mild air in place overnight, with lows in the 40s to near 50 degrees.
Looking ahead, a weather system will approach the mountains Friday night, and it’s expected to slow down once it reaches our area.
Wednesday is the real standout! Sunshine is back in control along with humidity staying low, temperatures jump into the lower to mid-70s, giving us a spring-like feel. It’s one of those days I call a perfect 10 weather day.
Tomorrow is one of those days where clouds linger a little longer, highs will still feel pleasant, landing in the upper 60s. By Wednesday sunshine dominates, and the warmth really shows up. Daytime highs will climb into the low to mid-70s, brushing up against record territory for this time of year.
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