Major snow impacts expected in the Carolinas with weekend coastal storm

Another major winter storm is setting its sights on the Carolinas this weekend with widespread snowfall accumulations that can only be described as "hefty."

Call it the Spring Break Stealer of '26. Some kids had the entire week off from school after last weekend's sleet storm left a thick crust of glacial ice on secondary roads, parking lots, and sidewalks.

This next system all but guarantees that most of those kids will have at least a few extra snow days next week, as well, threatening to chomp into this year's spring break.

A significant low-pressure system expected to develop off the North Carolina coast on Friday night will set the stage for widespread snowfall throughout the Carolinas, southern Virginia, and northeastern Georgia.

Very cold temperatures throughout the atmosphere will make this a dry, fluffy snow that accumulates efficiently, so forecasters are calling for some unusually steep totals for this neck of the woods.

The opening bid from the National Weather Service on Thursday morning included:

• Greensboro: 8 inches
• Raleigh: 8 inches
• Charlotte: 6 inches
• Fayetteville: 8 inches
• New Bern: 10 inches
• Wilmington: 5 inches
• Greenville (SC): 3 inches
• Richmond: 3 inches
• Norfolk: 10 inches

Like I said: hefty! These numbers will obviously change as we get closer to the event and forecasters get a better handle on the storm's ultimate track.

Personally, I'm curious about any potential dry air that might eat away at the snow before it reaches the ground at the beginning of the storm. We have a history of that happening around these parts, especially during the beginning stages of a system's development, and especially twice over when there's a bitterly cold Arctic airmass involved. 

How cold? Check out those forecast high temperatures for Saturday.

This much snow, even if it is dry and fluffy, would have major impacts throughout the region. Travel will be extremely difficult on unplowed roads. Continued cold temperatures after the storm will make for slow melting on unmaintained surfaces.

Another complicating factor is that it's been a while since we've had this much snowfall.

If the forecast holds, this would be the biggest storm in Greensboro and Raleigh since December 2018. Charlotte hasn't picked up more than an inch of snow since January 2022, and they haven't had 3 inches or more in one go since January 2018.

We'll see how the forecast evolves over the next couple of days. Get ready.

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