North Carolina Weather: 02-22-2026

Good afternoon! I'm Aaron Jolly. And welcome to the North Carolina Weather Podcast. It's Sunday, February 22nd. And folks, we've got three completely different weather days happening across one state right now. Let's start where things get serious. The mountains are staring down a Winter Storm Warning. Snow kicks off around 4 P.M. Today in Avery, Mitchell. And Yancey counties. By Monday morning, higher elevations could pile up 5 to 12 inches. Gusts hit 50 miles an hour overnight, creating blizzard conditions with wind chills near zero. Even lower elevations pick up 1 to 4 inches. If you're thinking about mountain travel, don't. Delay it. If you absolutely must go, pack an emergency kit. This storm means business. Now swing east to the Triangle. Rain rolls in by 1 P.M. And peaks around 3 P.M. About a quarter inch before it tapers off near 6 P.M. You're hitting 45 degrees around 11 A.M., then temperatures nosedive. By 7 A.M. Monday, you're at 31 degrees. Wind chill makes it feel like 21. That's a slap after the mild stretch we've had. Over in the Piedmont, your rain already came and went overnight. You're drying out now, but temperatures are sliding all day. Starting near 50 degrees this morning, dropping to 28 by early Monday. Northwest gusts around 15 miles an hour make it feel like 17. Clear skies tonight, but brutally cold. Looking ahead, this cold snap is short and sharp. By Wednesday, highs bounce back into the low 60s. Enjoy that, because a cold front crashes the party Thursday into Friday. Rain returns and temperatures settle back to the upper 50s. Mountains could see some snow again at the peaks, but nothing like today's wallop. I'll be tracking that mountain storm all night long. That's your forecast — we'll be back tomorrow. Take care!