Tornado possible with severe Charlotte weather, NWS says. Here’s the latest forecast.

Joe Marusak
·3 min read
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A severe weather system is forecast to pummel the Charlotte area and other parts of the Carolinas this weekend with even a tornado possible, National Weather Service meteorologists said Saturday.

Numerous showers with thunderstorms are expected to barrel east into the Piedmont late Saturday ahead of an approaching cold front, according to an alert Saturday morning by the NWS office in Greer, South Carolina.

“Locally heavy rainfall and cloud-to-ground lightning will be the main threats, but isolated damaging wind gusts cannot be ruled out,” NWS forecasters said in the 5 a.m. hazardous weather outlook bulletin.

The NWS alert includes Mecklenburg and surrounding counties, Upstate South Carolina and the North Carolina Piedmont, foothills and mountains.

Then, on Sunday, forecasters predict a strong cold front will cross the region with more showers and thunderstorms

“A few storms may be strong to severe, producing gusty winds and locally heavy rainfall,” according to the alert. “Isolated, brief tornadoes are also possible.”

Late Saturday afternoon, severe storms were still 250 miles west of the NC mountains, in Tennessee. A tornado hit just north of downtown Nashville, multiple videos showed.

The weather in Charlotte seemed calm at 8 a.m. Saturday, with 6 mph winds and a high of 50 reported at the airport.

Only a 20% chance of showers was predicted after noon, according to the 9 a.m. NWS Charlotte forecast. Light rain moved into the region in the afternoon.

The chance of rain climbed to 60% for late Saturday and early Sunday with gusts up to 23 mph predicted, according to the NWS Charlotte forecast at 3 p.m. Saturday..

Sunday has a 100% chance of rain, with some storms producing heavy amounts, NWS meteorologists said. Expect 1 to 2 inches of rain and gusts up to 23 mph, according to the 9 a.m. forecast.

Skies should finally turn sunny on Monday and remain mostly clear throughout the work week, the forecast showed.

Highs are predicted to drop from 63 Saturday and 65 Sunday to 49 on Monday. Highs should then inch up to 52 on Tuesday and 56 Wednesday. Highs of 52 and 55 are forecast Thursday and Friday.

Snow showers, fierce winds in mountains

In the NC mountains near Tennessee, snow showers are expected Sunday afternoon in the highest peaks, according to an NWS alert for 12 mountain counties Saturday morning.

“A quick 1-3” of snow will be possible, mainly across the higher elevations above 3,500 ft,” NWS Greer forecasters said on X, the former Twitter, at noon Saturday.

Mountain valleys could see up to 50-mph gusts, according to the hazardous weather outlook bulletin.

Patchy “black ice” could form in the mountains late Sunday and early Monday as temperatures plummet into the 20s, NWS meteorologists said in the alert.

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians canceled Saturday’s annual Christmas parade on the Qualla Boundary east of Asheville, due to low attendance and the expected severe weather.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.