Charlotte area could get 6 inches of snow; state of emergency declared

CHARLOTTE — This weekend’s winter weather storm is expected to bring 3-6 inches of snow to the Charlotte area with more in the mountains starting Saturday morning and lasting throughout the day, Channel 9 meteorologists said in a Thursday afternoon update.

>>CLICK HERE for the latest weather conditions

The snow will be light and fluffy. It could get blown around, which would create higher snow drifts well above 6 inches of snow.

Also on Thursday, North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein issued a new state of emergency to ensure the state qualifies if federal assistance is needed to respond or recover from the weather event and to activate the State Emergency Response Team ahead of the storm’s arrival on Saturday morning.

Ok friends, this is what our team is going with for snow on Saturday. Staying conservative for now but feel confident we'll at least get three inches of snow which is very significant for our area. Last time we say 3" was back in 2018! pic.twitter.com/i0Vl5Yfasf
— John Ahrens (@JohnAhrensWSOC9) January 29, 2026

A winter storm watch is in effect for Charlotte and surrounding counties. A winter storm warning was issued for Ashe and Watauga counties. Expect a winter storm warning to be issued for Charlotte on Friday.

>>LINK: Stay updated on live traffic conditions

Forecast

The chances for significant snow in Charlotte continue to increase for Saturday. A band of snow will develop in in the mountains on Friday night and swing into Charlotte Saturday, Chief Meteorologist John Ahrens said. As it does, it will slowly move through the Piedmont and interact with another storm developing off the coast.

The kind of snow that falls will be dry and powdery and that can accumulate quickly and in large doses.

Based on that, and the fact that this storm will slowly meander through North Carolinas we’re going with at least 3 inches of snow in the city with a range as high as 6 inches in our area. Indeed, we may end up raising these numbers depending on the strength of the storm that fires up over the mountains.

The snow will certainly make driving dangerous but if you are off for the day, this is a snow you can enjoy, Ahrens said. Powdery dry snow is nice and easy to sled through and will be easy to plow and shovel. It will however make driving tricky through Sunday morning.

Winter Storm Watch posted for nearly ALL of the Carolinas. We have big snow coming at us for Saturday. This could add up to several inches for most. pic.twitter.com/SyzAt3PStC
— Keith Monday (@kmondayWSOC9) January 29, 2026

Preps

State emergency management and N.C. Department of Transportation crews continue to work around the clock in preparation, Stein said. The coast could get blizzard conditions, Channel 9’s Keith Monday said.

Travel conditions may be treacherous, so the safest thing to do is to stay home and off the roads.

Roadways and highways have been mostly cleared and crews started pre-treating with brine on Wednesday.