In what might be considered a blizzard by recent Charlotte standards, roughly a half-inch of powdery snow fell over the city and surrounding region Tuesday night, catching many residents off guard after a similarly-snowy forecast earlier this month largely failed to materialize.
Rodney Hinson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said Tuesday's winter storm tracked farther north than forecasters anticipated, and because the Charlotte area had been experiencing freezing temperatures over the last few days, once the snow started falling, it quickly stuck.
"Normally around here when it snows, it takes a few hours for any accumulation to start because even though it's cold, the roads are warm," Hinson said. "This time, everything was cold so (the snow) starting sticking right away."
The snow began to fall at about 5 p.m. Tuesday and continued for about three hours. It easily stuck to many roads and sidewalks that were left untreated with salt and brine.
"It didn't snow very long, but it snowed long enough," Hinson said.
By 9:30 p.m., Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools had canceled classes for Wednesday, citing snow-covered roads in the area. Classes were also canceled in Cabarrus County, Union County, Chester County, Clover, Fort Mill, Gaston County, Kannapolis, Lancaster County, Rock Hill and Rowan-Salisbury.
The snowy weather also disrupted travel at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Some 350 flights were delayed and 129 flights were canceled at the airport Tuesday, according to the flight-tracking website FlightAware. An additional 113 flights were delayed and 188 flights were canceled Wednesday morning.
Duke Energy reported few power outages in the Charlotte region Wednesday morning — only about 200 in the Charlotte metro.
The snowfall also sparked joy for many Charlotte residents, who hadn't seen a good blanket of snow covering the city since January 2022. In one video posted on social media, a man rode a bike through a residential street in Charlotte, towing a child on a sled.
"This is so fun!" the child yelled out, laughing and squealing in delight.
Most areas of Charlotte saw around a half-inch of snow accumulation, according to the National Weather Service. Some areas of Mint Hill saw 0.6 inches. Areas along the North Carolina coast saw the highest snowfall from Tuesday's winter storm, with more than 8 inches falling on Ocracoke Island and 9 inches dropping on Kill Devil Hills in the Outer Banks.
Temperatures were forecast to remain at or below freezing in Charlotte during the day Wednesday, but forecasters still expect much of the snow and ice around Charlotte to melt under clear, sunny skies.
Roads could remain icy Wednesday night and Thursday morning, however, with temperatures expected to drop into the teens.
