ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — A new round of wintry precipitation is expected to redevelop Thursday night across Asheville, Buncombe County and the mountains of Western North Carolina, according to the National Weather Service in Greenville-Spartanburg.
Forecasters say temperatures will drop sharply after sunset, allowing a mix of snow and freezing rain to move into the region. A Winter Weather Advisory goes into effect at 7 p.m. Thursday for most mountain counties, including Buncombe, Madison, Haywood, Transylvania and Jackson. The advisory lasts through 10 a.m. Friday for elevations above 3,500 feet and until 1 p.m. Friday for counties along the northern Blue Ridge.
Road conditions may become hazardous overnight as light snow transitions to freezing rain. The Weather Service urges drivers to slow down and check 511 for road updates before traveling.
Forecasters say precipitation will develop first in the southwest mountains, where a layer of warmer air aloft will cause rain to change directly to freezing rain once surface temperatures fall below freezing. Areas along the northern Blue Ridge could see snow or a rain/snow mix before a transition to ice after midnight. Foothill communities east of the mountains may see up to three-quarters of an inch of snow, though accumulations there are expected to remain below advisory levels.
Cold conditions and lingering precipitation chances will continue into early next week. Another round of light freezing rain is possible in the mountains Saturday night. A cold front arriving late Sunday may produce northwest-flow snow near the Tennessee border, with temperatures dropping well below normal Monday and Tuesday.
High-resolution forecast models continue to refine the expected snow and ice line across the Carolinas. Meteorologists say areas north of Hickory, Winston-Salem, Greensboro and Durham currently have the best chance of seeing up to 2 inches of snow, though the exact placement of the transition zone may shift as the system approaches.
No additional hazardous weather is expected beyond Friday, though forecasters say light precipitation may return mid-week as temperatures trend back toward normal.