Significant winter weather event for the western Carolinas

Today will remain quiet with thickening clouds, for portions of the western Carolinas are set for a significant winter storm later tonight and tomorrow.

Tonight, precip will spread in from the southwest. For a while, the precipitation will likely be in the form of snow, and some spots could pick up a couple of inches of snow by daybreak.

Temperatures aloft then significant warm, meaning the precip will fall as liquid. However, in the foothills and the northwest Piedmont, surface temperatures will remain below freezing, meaning the precip will be freezing rain.

Here is my thinking as of this morning....

For the Charlotte region, snow is likely tonight, maybe mixing with sleet. However, liquid precip will take over by tomorrow morning, and temps will likely remain below freezing for Cleveland, Lincoln, Catawba, and Iredell counties and points northwest. In that area, a significant freezing rain event looks possible.

For the Triad, snow will arrive late tonight. Tomorrow morning, the precip will switch to freezing rain. Temperatures will try to slowly warm above freezing as the day unfolds in all but the northwest part of the area, say Surry and maybe Yadkin counties and points west.

For the Triad itself, a couple of inches of snow are possible by daybreak, and then there is the possibility of around 0.25" of ice, mainly on elevated surfaces. The ice potential gets higher as you head into the foothills, and some foothill locations will likely see at least 0.75" of ice. In those areas, this could be a very damaging ice storm.

For the Triangle, some snow or sleet to start early tomorrow morning, then rain tomorrow.

Some light snow is possible later Friday night into Saturday morning, especially north of I-40.

Below is the ice accumulation forecast idea I am going with on air this morning....


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