SALISBURY — Rain, freezing rain and snow are all possibilities over the next few days, according to the National Weather Service.
Don’t expect to see a winter wonderland, but forecasters are telling travelers to keep an eye on the forecast as a powerful weather system that hit the Southwest moves through the region.
The worst of the weather — with freezing rain and snow — is forecast for the foothills and mountains of Western North Carolina, but the threat of hazardous conditions from freezing rain overnight and into Tuesday morning affects northern Iredell County, said John Tomko, a metereologist with the Greensville-Spartanburg, S.C., office of the National Weather Service.
The potential for wintry weather in November is “early, very early. To get freezing rain east of the mountains in late November? I haven’t seen that in 19 years,” Tomko said. “This is just a really, really strong system … to be able to bring a lot of cold air down.”
In Rowan County, temperatures today will be about 40, but there is a chance for freezing rain overnight as the weather system moves in and temperatures drop below freezing. The chance for rain is 60 percent, but the threat of ice has not prompted warnings.
Tuesday, temperatures will rise into the upper-30s, with the chance for precipitation at 100 percent. As much as 2 inches of rain is in the forecast, though a Hazardous Weather Outlook from the weather service warns as much as 4 inches of rain is possible.
Come Wednesday, it’s possible snow could be in the air — but not likely — when the Holiday Caravan rolls down Main Street. It begins at 2 p.m. in Spencer will begin in Salisbury at 3 p.m.
The miserable weather, some may call it “festive,” will continue in spurts throughout the day, with temperatures in the 40s and the chance for precipitation at 80 percent. As much as a half-inch is expected, though it could fall as rain or snow before the overnight low drops into the 20s.
And let’s not forget about the wind: “Breezy, with a north northwest wind 14 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph.”
No accumulation of snow is expected, and Tomko said weather models show the potential for snow drying up earlier than first forecast.
Sunshine is back on Thanksgiving Day with a high in the 40s and lows in the 20s. That trend is forecast for the rest of the week.