The Charlotte region will get an early taste of winter Tuesday.
A cold front will cause temperatures to drop quickly to around 40 degrees this afternoon. That’s about 25 degrees below the normal temperature for this time of year.
Justin Lane, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's Greenville-Spartanburg office, says at times it may feel even colder. And rain is expected until early afternoon.
“There is going to be some gusty wind this afternoon," Lane said. "It’s not going to be too gusty, but nevertheless it’s going to be enough to produce wind chill readings in the lower to mid-30s this afternoon.”
Mecklenburg County said additional mats would be available at the Men's Shelter of Charlotte/Urban Ministry Center to accommodate anyone who does not have an option for a warm place to sleep Tuesday evening. Additionally, the Urban Ministry Center Day Services Center at 945 N. College St. will open early Wednesday, at 7 a.m.
Charlotte Area Transit System buses also will transport individuals to the two Men's Shelter locations or Salvation Army Center of Hope free of charge Tuesday and Wednesday.
Lane says much of the North Carolina mountains will get a dusting of snow Tuesday, with some areas in higher elevations possibly getting more than an inch. Temperatures across the Charlotte area on Tuesday night will fall to the lower 20s with the wind chill making it fell like 10 or 15 degrees at times.
With an arctic front poised to cross the area this morning, what a difference a day is going to make. Here are the observed temps from 3 pm yesterday vs. what we're forecasting for 3 pm today. Almost 40 degrees colder in some areas! #ncwx #scwx #gawx pic.twitter.com/78eErOTpvK
— NWS GSP (@NWSGSP) November 12, 2019
Lane says while the temperatures will be below normal, they shouldn’t break any records. He says it will begin to warm back up at the end of the week, but will still be five to 10 degrees below normal.
“We would expect this time of year in the midafternoon to see temperatures in the mid-60s," Lane said. "But what we’re actually going to see today is around 40, so again a good 20 to 25 degrees below what we’re used to seeing this time of year."
It'll be another week before temperatures return to normal for this time of year — highs in the mid-60s.