Winter Weather Advisory for highest elevations in mountains, rain this weekend
GREENVILLE, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - A clipper system brings some snow to the higher elevations Tuesday night with cooler air on the way for everyone. Rain for the weekend lies ahead for everyone.
Tuesday brings the first of two temperature dips this week. Highs are in the mid 50s to around 60° which is right around seasonal norms. It’s mainly sunny through the day with a few more clouds creeping into the mountains late in the afternoon.
Tuesday night, a cold front moves into the area bringing precipitation to the mountains, mainly around the North Carolina-Tennessee border. Rain in the lower elevations with snow in the higher mountains starts around 9 PM. As temperatures fall overnight, snow levels also drop, allowing for snow to mix in, even down into the valleys. No precipitation is expected in the Upstate and in fact, it’s a dry and clear night.
Accumulation of 2″ to 3″ are possible for the mountains above 3500′ with up to 6″ possible over the highest mountain tops. While some valley locations may see snow mixing in, no accumulation is expected. With highs on Tuesday in the valleys in the 50s and overnight lows above freezing, the ground is to warm to support the snow sticking.
A Winter Weather is in effect from 10 p.m. Tuesday to 4 p.m. Wednesday for counties along the North Carolina-Tennessee border above 3500 feet include: Graham, Swain, Haywood, Madison, Yancey, and Mitchell counties. Travel could be dangerous and difficult in the areas listed above Wednesday morning. Limited visibility may be possible, due to gusty winds causing blowing and drifting of snow.
Wednesday brings another temperature drop to the area behind the exiting cold front. While sunny skies are the order of the day in the Upstate, highs are in only in the low 50s with highs in the mountains struggling to the low 40s. It’s breezy with winds gusting 25 to 30 mph adding an extra chill to the air.
Thursday morning features the core of the cold air as lows bottom out in the mid 20s to around 30. Under a sunny sky, temperatures climb to the low to mid 50s. From there, temperatures start to climb with highs in the upper 50s on Friday. Above normal highs return for the weekend as we top out in the low to mid 60s on Saturday with a partly cloudy sky.
Sunday brings our next chance for rain. The exact timing on the arrival of the system is still in question and is creeping a little earlier. We may see the rain start as early as Saturday evening, becoming widespread by the time we wake up on Sunday morning. Rain is expected through Sunday, clearing out Sunday night. A few thunderstorms could possibly mix and it’s warm for a winter day with highs in the upper 50s to low 60s so this is a rain event for our area.
Copyright 2023 WHNS. All rights reserved.
