Will It Snow in Charlotte This Winter? My 2026–27 Winter Forecast

My 22nd annual Winter Forecast is here! With a record-strong El Niño building in the Pacific, this winter is shaping up to be warm and wet for Charlotte and the Carolinas, and that’s usually bad news for snow lovers. ❄️ The 2026–27 outlook for Charlotte 🌡️ Temperature: 45.5–47.0°F, about 1.5–3° above normal (44.0°F) 🌧️ Precipitation: 12.5–14.5", about 120–140% of normal (10.23") ❄️ Snowfall: 0.5–2.5", below normal (3.1"). Zero is in play. Why: The strongest El Niños on record (1982–83, 1997–98, 2015–16) all brought wet winters here, as the subtropical jet sends a parade of Gulf storms across the Southeast. In today’s warmer climate those big events have run mild, and warm + wet is the worst combo for snow in 148 years of Charlotte records. The wild card: All that moisture means we can’t rule out one big storm. If cold air damming (the wedge) lines up with a Gulf low, one ice or snow event could still make the season, just like last winter’s 12.2". Data: Charlotte climate records 1878–2026, 1991–2020 normals, NOAA Niño 3.4 forecasts. 📺 Watch Weather Impact live on the WCNC app 🔔 Subscribe and turn on notifications so you don’t miss a winter storm update #WinterForecast #ElNino #CharlotteWeather #wxbrad #NCwx #SCwx #weather #charlotte #northcarolina #southcarolina Weather IQ is powered by the meteorologists at WCNC Charlotte in North Carolina. This channel is dedicated to forecasting, explaining, and educating weather, climate, and atmospheric science to everyone, including teachers, students, and more. SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAdmOVgQt4os407ftOzlHDg SEE THE WCNC CHARLOTTE WEATHER FORECAST ANYTIME: https://wcnc.com/weather GET SEVERE WEATHER ALERTS. DOWNLOAD THE WCNC CHARLOTTE APP: https://wcnc.com/appredirect Download WCNC+ on your smart TV and watch for free: https://www.wcnc.com/article/about-us/stream-wcnc-plus-now-roku-amazon-fire-apple-tv/275-3d19e8d8-48dd-4036-b3ab-c514ec25b4be