CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A storm system has been moving across the United States for days now. Unfortunately, it led to devastation and fatalities across the Mid-South and Deep South on Friday.
For the Carolinas, this front will weaken substantially by the time it arrives in our region. Before it gets here, expect warm, muggy, and cloudy conditions as highs peak in the upper 60s and lower 70s.
Chief Meteorologist Brad Panovich said the Charlotte area could see strong, gusty winds beginning Saturday afternoon. By the evening, there will be widespread rain in western North Carolina and the upstate of South Carolina. Panovich said some locations could see up to 45 mph wind gusts during Saturday's storms before things calm down.
"Toward the evening, we'll lose the heating of the day," Panovich said. "I don't anticipate a huge severe weather event because of the timing."
The biggest threat for the Carolinas will be straight-line winds, but Panovich said you can't rule out an isolated tornado in some areas.
"It's never a 0% tornado threat but it's probably less than 1%," Panovich said. "This is probably going to be a straight-line winds setup."
Rain will begin to move into the mountains around lunchtime. The mountains and foothills will see the best chance for storms between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. It'll be closer to 3 p.m. for much of the Piedmont, including the Charlotte metro area.
The sandhills of South Carolina will see activity much later with a much lower risk of strong-to-severe storms. After 10 p.m., we'll transition away from a stormy pattern to more rainfall only.
The mountains could see freezing precipitation and snowflakes mix in Sunday morning before rain clears out. By daybreak, locally, we'll be much cooler and drier with abundant sunshine.
Wake Up Charlotte To Go is a daily news and weather podcast you can listen to so you can start your day with the team at Wake Up Charlotte.
SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts || Spotify || Stitcher || TuneIn || Google Podcasts
All of WCNC Charlotte's podcasts are free and available for both streaming and download. You can listen now on Android, iPhone, Amazon, and other internet-connected devices. Join us from North Carolina, South Carolina, or on the go anywhere.