CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Did you see snow in Charlotte Thursday?
Chief Meteorologist Brad Panovich said the Queen City had some flurries in the afternoon and evening, but unfortunately for the snow lovers, there was no accumulation with this small system.
Afternoon highs struggled to reach the upper 30s as reports of flurries came in from Mooresville, Concord, and even some Charlotte neighborhoods.
You may have even seen a snowy forecast on your smartphone’s automated weather app.
“If the computer says the radar shows something and does a calculation, it can tell you that rain, snow, or whatever will start in say, 20 minutes,” Panovich said. “But if it’s what we call a false return, your app doesn’t know that because there’s no human to discern that.”
As a result, when you think is snow can sometimes be, well…nothing. As for those flakes you saw when you were grabbing lunch…
“It doesn’t mean there weren’t a few flurries making it to the ground,” Panovich said. “But 90 percent was not reaching the surface.
“What you’re seeing out there is mid-and high-level clouds. Some snow flurries may be reaching the ground. But if you’re looking at your app, one thing to look for are surface observations. When I checked today (Thursday), I noticed none of them reported snow except for Boone. That’s always a red flag.”
If you’re itching to see snow, Panovich said we could see some as far south as northern Mecklenburg County by Sunday night if cold air is pulled into a storm system headed our way. If warmer air is pulled in, however, we could see a severe weather threat.