Keeping You Safe Before, During & After The Storm!
Severe Weather Risks Increase This Afternoon; Peaks Monday Morning Across Foothills
An increasingly dynamic and potentially impactful weather pattern is unfolding across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic as we move through Sunday and into Monday, with conditions becoming favorable for a widespread severe weather event across portions of the Carolinas and surrounding states. The setup is being driven by a powerful upper-level shortwave trough that is amplifying…
Cold Front Poses Significant Severe Weather Risk Across Carolinas/Virginia
Spring storm system forming across the eastern U.S., bringing severe thunderstorms to the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. Dynamic upper-level winds and a strengthening low pressure system will fuel organized storms.
Saturday Weather Discussion: Scattered Storms Could Produce Isolated Severe Wind Gusts This Afternoon
Saturday March 7th, 2026 Severe Weather Risk Today: Marginal (Main Risk: Damaging Winds) Detailed Meteorological Discussion A spring-like weather pattern continues to evolve across the southern Appalachians, with western North Carolina positioned within a warm, increasingly moist southwest flow regime ahead of a slow-moving frontal boundary approaching from the west. The broader synoptic pattern features…
Isolated Shower and Storm Chances This Weekend, but Warm!
(Technical Forecast First and the layman’s term forecast is below it) Synoptic Overview The large-scale pattern across North America remains characterized by an amplified upper-level trough across the western United States with downstream ridging across the eastern half of the country. This configuration supports a broad southwest flow regime across much of the central and…
Happy Meteorological Spring. Warm Today but Cold Weather To Start Work Week.
Good warm Sunday Afternoon to everyone. Welcome to Meteorological Spring. For climate purposes, today is actually the first day of Spring, even though we are still about 19-20 days away from the Spring Solstice. March has arrived like a lamb, but it will show some attitude tomorrow, just showing how much of a roller coaster…
Light Rain, Snow, Mix To Taunt The Area Once More
A cold front will settle through the area tonight bringing scattered rain showers across the foothills. Precipitation totals will be very light. That cold front will settle to our south and stall. Low pressure will move along the frontal boundary, likely across SC, Wednesday Evening and Wednesday Night. Light moisture will spread north across the…
Foothills Weather Blog: Cold Mornings, Clouds, and a Midweek Change
As we head through the middle of the week across the Western North Carolina Foothills, the weather pattern remains active but low impact overall. While we are not looking at a major winter event, there are still a few things to watch, especially with cold mornings and a weak system midweek. Tuesday: Mostly Cloudy and…
Winter Storm Updates 1.30.26. All Updates Will be posted in This Blog
Follow this page for updates on our winter storm in between our live updates. Next Live Update: 9:00 am via Facebook, YouTube, Website As of 7:00am: Winter storm underway across North Carolina. Travel is snarled in most areas, especially those where ice from last weekend had not melted yet. A low pressure has developed at…
Weekend Snow Chances Increase For Some While Flies Remain in the Forecast for Others.
Sponsored by Wendy B’s Embroidery & Screen Printing As of 11:00 am Thursday, we continue to monitor our winter storm that is expected to impact the area this weekend. Significant amounts of snow are possible, which could cause mainly travel and visibility issues. Upper-level energy will dive south tomorrow (Friday) from Canada into the Ohio…
Winter Weather Briefing (1/28/26, 10 pm): Winter Storm expected for Foothills/Western Piedmont
Good Wednesday evening, Winter Weather updates are sponsored by Wendy B’s Embroidery & Screen Printing We have issued a first-call snow forecast for this winter storm that is expected to begin Friday night and intensify into Saturday before departing late in the day. We will update this again on Thursday. Due to our increased confidence…
Weekend Snow Chances Increase For Second Weekend In A Row. Amount of Moisture Still In Question.
Snow chances are gradually increasing for the upcoming weekend across the Western North Carolina Foothills as we continue to watch the likely development of low pressure off the Carolina coast. While there is still uncertainty about how everything will come together, confidence is growing that colder air will already be in place before any precipitation…
Winter Storm Briefing (1/22/26, 5 pm): Winter Storm to bring significant amounts of sleet and freezing rain
Good Thursday afternoon to everyone, Our winter weather coverage is sponsored by Wendy B’s Embroidery & Screen Printing, located in Morganton. A look at the water vapor today shows the two players that will help produce a wide-reaching winter storm across the Eastern US and back into the Southern Plains. The feature off the coast…
Winter Storm Briefing (1/21/26, 5 pm): Preparations continue for major winter storm
Good Wednesday evening to everyone, A reminder that our Winter Weather coverage is sponsored by Wendy B’s Embroidery & Screen Printing located at 3076 N.C. Hwy 18 South in Morganton. We continue to monitor the likelihood of a major winter storm this weekend across the Carolinas. Confidence remains very high on the overall setup and…
Winter Storm Briefing Update: Preparations Should Be Underway for Major Winter Storm
Confidence continues to increase that a winter storm system will impact the area this weekend, with the most likely timeframe being late Friday night through Sunday night. While there is still uncertainty regarding the exact type and amount of precipitation, confidence is growing that moderate to potentially significant winter weather impacts are possible. Key Message…
Winter Storm Update: Confidence Increasing In Significant Weekend Winter Storm; Fine Details Still Uncertain
Confidence has increased that a significant winter storm may impact the region this weekend, particularly from Saturday through Sunday. While forecast confidence has improved regarding impacts, uncertainty remains high regarding precipitation type, which is typical for Southeast winter storms. Key Messages 1. Confidence Increasing in a Significant Winter Storm Confidence has increased today that a…
Watching a Possible Winter Storm for Next Weekend in Western North Carolina
Western North Carolina’s winter weather next weekend could feature snow or ice. A cold front and Arctic high pressure create conditions for a potential storm. Ice may be more dangerous than snow, causing power outages and travel issues.
A Couple Chances for Wintry Weather — But No Major Impacts Expected. Blog and Video Attached
A few weak systems are moving through our area this weekend, and while we could see some snow, sleet, or even freezing rain at times, we’re not expecting anything major. Let’s break it all down. Key Messages 1. Brief Wintry Mix Possible Early Saturday — Minimal ImpactsA short wave may bring a brief mix of…
Sunday Snow hopes fading? (1/16/26, 12 pm)
Good Friday afternoon everyone! Winter weather coverage on Foothills Weather Network is sponsored by Wendy B’s Embroidery & Screen Printing located in Morganton. We continue to monitor a developing storm system over the next 48 hours that could throw some moisture over the top of a cold airmass across the Southeast US. The past 12-24…
Sunday Snow? We’re Watching Closely – Cold Air to Follow. Blog and Video
Key Messages 1. There’s Growing Interest in a Potential Winter Weather Event SundayRecent trends in one of the more consistent model runs suggest snow could develop late Saturday night into Sunday across parts of the Carolinas, especially east of the mountains. That said, other model suites haven’t yet shown strong support for this idea. Experience…
Winter Weather Outlook (1/14, 3 pm) for Sunday Jan 18
Good Wednesday afternoon, Our weather team continues to monitor the weather pattern for later this week as cold air is going to be firmly entrenched with pieces of upper-level energy moving through this weekend. If you look at the water vapor image, you can clearly see an area of high pressure aloft along the West…
Winter Weather Outlook (1/12, 7 pm) for Jan 15-18
Good Monday evening, With another 24 hours of model analysis, our confidence is growing that our mid-week weather will be just a cold front that will reinforce cold air across the Western Carolinas. A deep trough will reinforce the cold air beginning Wednesday night. Post-frontal passage, northwest flow will deliver another accumulating snow event for…
Winter Weather Outlook (1/11, 4 pm Update) for Jan 15-18
Good Sunday afternoon, Well, winter has made its return to the Western Carolinas. After dealing with rain and temperatures in the 60’s on Saturday, northwest winds are howling today and the mountains have picked up a little bit of snow on northwest flow. Looking at the water vapor image below, you can see a sharp…
Winter Weather Outlook Update: January 15 – 18th, 2026
Snow chances diminish as models show less precipitation east of the Blue Ridge; mountains still hold hope.
Here Comes The Snow Hype. Let’s Stay Grounded but Ahead of it!
Stay alert as late next week’s weather systems may stir up changes in the region. With a sharp upper-level trough poised to unleash colder air southward, keep an eye on the Southeast’s evolving weather story.
Unseasonal warmth persist through Saturday, severe weather threat exists for Southeast US
By: Lead Forecaster Daniel Crawley Good Thursday morning to everyone. Yesterday was quite warm across the Western Carolinas with temperatures in the 70’s. That was a result of a ridge of high pressure located to our south pumping in southwest winds aloft. The current warm airmass in place will now be introduced by a strong…
Upward swing in temperatures expected for Christmas and end of 2025
By: Lead Forecaster Daniel Crawley Good Friday evening to everyone, The holiday season is here and with Christmas being less than one week away, everyone is asking; What is the weather going to be like? One thing we can say for sure is that the cold start to December is going to change in a…
Dominant northern jet to bring down coldest airmass of season late this weekend
Good Thursday morning, Cold weather patterns continue to exist across the Eastern US including here in western North Carolina. Temperatures have been running below normal since Thanksgiving and that will continue through the end of this week. Looking at the water vapor, the northern jet is dominant right now as northwest flow at the jet…
Foothills Weather Network — 7-Day Snow Risk Outlook
Foothills Weather Network — 7-Day Snow Risk Outlook We’ve taken a fresh look at the overnight model guidance, and here’s what the next seven days are shaping up to look like across the Foothills. The short version: nothing big is showing up, but there are a few things worth keeping an eye on. Most significant…
Foothills Weather Briefing: Next 24 Hours Will Feature Rejoicing of Some Snow Lovers, While Depressing Others
Some of you snow lovers may want to start practicing deep breathing now, because this is shaping up to be one of those classic western North Carolina heartbreak storms. You know the type — you go to bed imagining fat snowflakes drifting past the streetlights, only to wake up and find nothing but your neighbor’s…
Foothills Weather Network >1 Inch Snow Outlook – Next 7 Days
We are watching a continuing cold pattern lock in and next week even colder air likely moving into our area. This pattern may bring some light snow, mainly for places close to the mountains. This is NOT one big storm. Instead, it’s a few small chances for light snow over the next seven days. Here’s…
FWN Daily: (12/6/25)
Good Saturday morning to all, here is a quick synopsis of the local weather through the next 48 hours… Today (Sat): Pattern: We sit in the backside of a cold, damp air mass. Cloud deck hangs tough most of the day, especially north and west (Caldwell, Burke, McDowell, northern Alexander). Temps: Highs generally upper 40s…
7-Day Weather Blog (Dec 5-11 2025)
(More generic discussion towards the bottom) County Elevations and Why They Matter The Foothills region spans everything from gently rolling piedmont to some of the highest terrain in eastern America. Elevation strongly influences how precipitation falls and how quickly air masses modify. Here are the general elevation ranges for the counties we serve: Elevation highlights…
Winter Weather Event #3: Some Snow, A Lot of Disappointment
Good Wednesday Night, We are roughly 24 hours from most of our areas second chance at snow already this young winter season. Here are the latest forecast graphics. Confidence medium on the amount of cold air and the amount of moisture that this system will have to work with. One thing is for sure. It…
12/3/25, 11 am: Light Winter Precipitation possible Friday morning
By: Lead Forecaster Daniel Crawley Good Wednesday morning, we continue to monitor the combination of an active weather pattern with cold air interacting with the moisture. So far over the past 5-7 days, our region has seen multiple cold air damming events that has led to marginal icing situations along the Blue Ridge escarpment. Another…
Tuesday Weather Blog: Early Winter Volitile Progressive Pattern in Place
For the Foothills & Eastern Escarpment of Western North Carolina Good afternoon, everyone. We’ve been digging through a tremendous amount of long-range and ensemble data today — Euro, GFS, AIFS, Canadian, clustering, and upper-air pattern composites — and the overall picture for our region is becoming clearer. It’s a busy pattern, but not necessarily a…
❄️Monday’s Update to the 7-Day >1 Inch Snow Probabilities
Northwest / Higher-Elevation Sections (These are terrain-driven, elevation-dependent numbers.)• NW Polk County (Saluda & highest peaks): 28%• NW Rutherford County (Sunshine–Golden Valley / South Mountains): 25%• NW McDowell County (Little Switzerland / Parkway ridge tops): 27%• NW Burke County (Jonas Ridge / Linville Gorge rim): 21%• NW Caldwell County (Globe / Edgemont / near Blowing…
(12/1/25, 5 pm): Icing expected late tonight along Blue Ridge; another winter wx chance Friday?
By: Lead Forecaster Daniel Crawley Good Monday evening to everyone, Meteorological winter has started and its wasting no time making the weather interesting around here. This weather update is sponsored by Wendy B’s Embroidery and Screen Printing in Morganton. A southern stream system is quickly moving toward the region and will bring a cold, soaking…
Black Ice Possible Monday AM. More Significant Weather Systems Later This Week. Winter Weather Possible
As we brace for a chilly, damp week ahead in the Western Carolinas, it’s important to remember that the rain is much-needed. Tonight, temperatures are expected to plummet into the upper 20s and low 30s, raising concerns about patchy black ice on roads that haven’t fully dried. While these slick spots are likely to be…
Sunday Update: 7 Day Snow Probabilities
Over the next seven days, the Western Carolinas will certainly be unsettled, with multiple cold-air damming events and storm systems overrunning the shallow cold air. What you’re seeing here in this blog is a look at the overall odds of seeing at least 1 inch of snow at some point over the next seven days,…
Winter Weather Briefing #1 – Light, Isolated Icing Risk Tonight
A cold front will move in from the west tonight, throwing a round of moisture into the Carolinas. For almost all of our foothill counties, this will mean a chilly, raw light rain. However, the combination of lingering cold air and higher elevations along the Blue Ridge and the highest ridges of the South Mountains…
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