Will Rowan County See Snow on Monday?

A Look at the Setup and What the Sounding Shows

A weak southern-stream disturbance will move across the Carolinas early Monday, bringing a window of light precipitation during the morning and midday hours. With cold air arriving from the north, many are wondering whether temperatures can cool fast enough for snow to reach the ground in Rowan County.

Based on current data and the attached model sounding, a brief mix cannot be ruled out late in the event, especially north and west of Salisbury. However, meaningful accumulation remains unlikely.

The Timing Issue: Cold Air Arrives After the Moisture Leaves

The Monday system has a familiar challenge for our area: moisture arrives first, and the deeper cold air trails behind. The model sounding valid around midday Monday illustrates this clearly. While the dendritic growth zone is present aloft, the lower levels of the atmosphere remain above freezing during the peak moisture window. Once colder air arrives, precipitation is already diminishing.

This timing mismatch is the primary reason significant snow is unlikely across the Piedmont.

What the Sounding Tells Us

1. Surface temperatures remain marginal

The lowest few thousand feet of the atmosphere remain above freezing through most of the event. This favors cold rain over accumulating snow.

2. Lift is weak

There is little isentropic lift, limited vertical motion, and no strong forcing. When lift is weak, precipitation stays light and snowflakes have difficulty surviving the trip to the surface.

3. “Snow” appears as the best-guess type, but moisture is shallow

The sounding identifies snow as a possible precipitation type based on temperatures aloft, but it does not account for the fact that moisture is quickly exiting as the column cools. By the time the atmosphere fully supports snow, available moisture is extremely limited.

4. No signals of a dynamic winter setup

There is no frontogenesis, no deformation band, and no strong upper-level support. This strongly favors light, non-impactful precipitation.

What Rowan County Can Expect

Northern and Western Rowan (Cleveland, Mt. Ulla, Woodleaf, Spencer)

A brief mix of rain and wet snow is possible late Monday morning or midday as the system exits. No accumulation is expected.

Salisbury, Rockwell, China Grove, Faith

Likely to remain cold rain for most of the event. A stray wet flake may occur as precipitation ends, but no impacts are expected.

South Rowan (Landis, Kannapolis, Enochville)

Mainly rain. Little to no chance of mixing.

Freezing Fog Potential

Freezing fog is possible late Sunday night into early Monday morning before the main precipitation arrives. With overnight lows in the 20s, slick spots on bridges and overpasses are possible. This may be the most noteworthy impact of the period.

Final Call (as of Saturday Morning)

• Rain arrives early Monday.

• A brief mix is possible north and west of Salisbury late in the event.

• No accumulation expected for Rowan County.

• Mountains remain favored for advisory-level snow.

• Much colder air arrives Monday night with lows near 19 degrees.