News

Storms push off, cool temps arrive for weekend

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Weather Update: The cold front responsible for the two inches of rain that fell on most of the Charlotte area has pushed through and swept the rain out to the east.

Clouds will break up Friday morning as drier air pushes in and temperatures dip to the low to mid-50s.

Flash flood watches were canceled at 9:30 p.m. Thursday for Mecklenburg and surrounding counties, except Anson and Stanly.

The National Weather Service issued two tornado warnings Thursday for Mecklenburg County. The most recent warning was canceled at 4:20 p.m.

On Friday, the sun will return with highs in the low 70s, accompanied by breezy conditions.

Two disturbances are expected to pass through this weekend -- one each for Saturday and Sunday. The mountains could see some Saturday afternoon showers, but the Charlotte area will likely only be cloudy.

On Sunday, the Charlotte area could experience some clouds and a shower.

Temperatures over the weekend will be in the low to mid-70s and we won't see 80 degrees until the middle of next week.

Weather Service confirms tornado in Charlotte

The National Weather Service confirmed an EFO tornado touched down at 6:46 a.m. Thursday about miles south-southwest of uptown Charlotte.

The tornado's wind speeds were between 80 to 85 mph with a width of about 30 yards and the path was about 0.67 miles, according to the NWS.

The tornado touched down at the dead end of Arrow Point Boulevard where an industrial office had siding peeled off, the NWS said.

The tornado pulled off a glass panel at a nearby industrial office and a large awning was thrown near a nearby office building.

The tornado crossed Arrowood Road downing 15 trees before lifting off the ground.

The NWS reported no injuries or deaths from the tornado.

The Enhanced Fujita Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories:

  • EF0: Wind speeds 65 to 85 mph.
  • EF1: Wind speeds 86 to 110 mph.
  • EF2: Wind speeds 111 to 135 mph.
  • EF3: Wind speeds 136 to 165 mph.
  • EF4: Wind speeds 166 to 200 mph.
  • EF5: Wind speeds greater than 200 mph.

Storms bring strong winds, possible flooding to Charlotte area

A Tornado Warning was issued for Mecklenburg County on Thursday morning and expired at 7:30 a.m. Emergency officials said that no damage had been reported, though Channel 9 found a tree that had snapped and fallen across Morehead Street in west Charlotte.

Channel 9 also received photos of damage from a viewer who works in the Arrowpoint Blvd. area of south Charlotte.

Large tree branches fell and the siding was ripped off a building.

Channel 9 Meteorologist Vicki Graf visited the area and got the sense that a weak tornado caused the damage along Arrowpoint Blvd.

Debris was strewn about the businesses, a glass panel was torn from one of the commercial buildings and there were numerous trees knocked down -- both small and large.

Charlotte Mecklenburg school officials told Channel 9 that there were no school changes and buses ran as normal. CMS said that a classroom ceiling had collapsed at Butler High School and that water had poured into the building. No students were hurt.

The strong winds had diminished to around 30 mph near uptown around 7:30 a.m. and the strongest part of the storm had moved into Cabarrus and Rowan counties.

The rain will likely sit with us for a few hours, it seems to be moving more from south to north now rather than a west to east progression.

The biggest threat that these storms will bring Thursday afternoon is the chance for flooding and very strong winds, with gusts over 50 mph at times. Flash flooding will be the main threat as an inch or more rain will fall in a short period of time.

Cleveland and Lincoln counties were under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning before dawn Thursday and a Flash Flood Watch is in effect for the majority of the area through tonight.

With these downpours, the warm temperatures the area has experienced the last week will cool dramatically, into the lower 70s.

Click here for the interactive radar to see what's happening in your neighborhood.

If you have a power outage, you can report it to Duke Energy by calling 1-800-769-3766.

Sign up for your personal forecast by clicking here.

DOWNLOAD our weather apps: