Another storm system is expected to bring rain into the Carolinas Wednesday Night and Thursday; however, some areas may experience freezing rain. This may lead to a very dangerous situation with hazardous road conditions and extended power outages.
An upper level disturbance will help to develop a surface low along a stalled front, bringing moisture northward into the Carolinas Wednesday Night and Thursday Morning. Temperatures are expected to be at or just below freezing for many areas north of I-40. With temperatures below freezing and warm air aloft, freezing rain is expected.
The NAM computer model future radar shows the progression with moisture moving in late Wednesday and early Thursday in the form of a wintry mix, quickly changing to freezing rain north of I-40.
This has the potential to be a very very bad ice storm for many, especially around the triad. The temperatures in the triad are expected to be in the upper 20s to low 30s, which would lead to very high ice accumulations, especially on trees and powerlines.
At 7:00 a.m. on Thursday Morning, the GFS computer model has the following temperatures…
- Greensboro Airport: 30°
- Winston Salem (Smith Reynolds Airport): 28°
- Mount Airy / Surry County Airport: 28°
- Statesville Airport: 31°
- Hickory Airport: 32°
- Wilkes County Airport: 30°
- Asheville Airport: 33°
- Boone (Watauga Hospital): 32°
With these temperatures, you can clearly see where the greatest threat lies. That is why my current forecast has the highest ice totals in the Triad locations and northward towards the Virginia line.
If you live in the green shaded areas, please make preparations now for hazardous road conditions Thursday, down trees, and extended power line outages. I expect many areas in green may be without power for a while following this storm. If you live in the blue shaded areas, travel is expected to be dicey on Thursday Morning and power outages are definitely possible. Please make plans today for this storm.
