Don’t expect a lot of snow in Charlotte area, but uncertainty remains, NWS says

The Charlotte area will get snow this weekend, but residents shouldn’t expect a huge amount.

The latest weather models suggest the amount of snow on Friday night “trending downwards,” but the uncertainty of the data poses a question about how much might change in upcoming forecasts, Mike Rehnberg of the National Weather Service office in Greer, S.C., said Thursday.

For now, Charlotte is not expected to go into a winter weather advisory, Rehnberg said. An advisory alerts the public that winter weather conditions could cause significant inconveniences, possibly hazardous.

Weather models are saying the “big snow maker” will stay a little bit farther off the Carolinas coast and pose less of a problem to the Charlotte area, Rehnberg said. A second wave could cross the mountains and into the Piedmont, he said.

Charlotte could see enhanced snowfall during the second wave, likely late Friday night, Rehnberg said.

Friday’s forecast calls for rain and snow showers between 11 p.m. and midnight, with a chance of more snow after midnight. Less then an inch of accumulation is possible.

Saturday’s forecast is sunny with a high near 37.

“We’re still not expecting this to be an extended duration event, so this isn’t something that’s going to go on for a like a day and a half,” Rehnberg said.

Road conditions shouldn’t cause much concern on Saturday, but that could change as details about the storm become more clear, Rehnberg said.

Road crews prepare for snow

Thursday was just “another day at the office” for the North Carolina Department of Transportation as the agency prepares for its third straight weekend of snowfall, spokeswoman Jennifer Thompson said.

Crews have been cleaning and testing equipment to prepare for the storm, much like it has for others, Thompson said. Salt, sand and brine have been ordered to replenish what the agency has already used, she said.

“The forecast is currently calling for the biggest impacts of snow and ice to the east of Charlotte, so crews and contractors from Raleigh and Fayetteville to the coast have already started brining roads, continuing today,” Thompson said.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Emergency Management is closely monitoring the weather for the weekend, but doesn’t expect significant impacts based on recent forecasts, spokeswoman Hannah Sanborn Brown said.

“We’ll continue to get updates from the National Weather Service though, and we’ll be ready to make changes to our plans should it be necessary,” Brown said.

Frigid temps forecast for Charlotte

Charlotte has a 60% chance of rain and snow, and 60% chance for snow showers on Friday night, according to the NWS forecast. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph.

Sunday should be sunny with a high near 44, followed by a low of 26 early Monday, the forecast shows.

Highs in the low 50s are predicted Monday and Tuesday, under sunny to mostly sunny skies, according to the NWS.

Snow forecast for rest of NC

Winter storm watches have been issued for northeastern North Carolina, where 2 to 6 inches of snow are in the forecast, according to N.C. Emergency Management.

The North Carolina mountains along the Tennessee border could see 2 to 4 inches of snow with isolated amounts up to 6 inches in higher elevations, officials said.