Freeze Warning Issued for Charlotte, Wind Chills Near 16 degrees

Forecasters say temperatures will drop about 20 degrees within hours, with wind chills near 16 degrees and gusts up to 30 mph.

Frosty ice crystal backround — Source: Kajdi Szabolcs / Getty

The National Weather Service has issued a freeze warning for the Charlotte region from 8 p.m. Monday to 9 a.m. Tuesday, as a sharp cold front brings frigid temperatures, strong winds, and possible flurries.

Forecasters say temperatures will drop about 20 degrees within hours, with wind chills near 16 degrees and gusts up to 30 mph. Lows are expected to hit 28 degrees in Charlotte and 26 degrees in Rock Hill, while mountain areas could see lows around 15 degrees and up to a foot of snow.

Light snow flurries may fall along the I-40 corridor as far east as Greensboro, though accumulation should stay below a tenth of an inch.

At Grandfather Mountain, winds topped 50 mph Monday morning with a wind chill of -12 degrees. Forecasters say confidence is high for a hard freeze across the region, prompting the upgrade from a freeze watch to a freeze warning.