Rain chances in the Charlotte area are expected to rise this week as Hurricane Francine moves inland.
Francine, which formed in the Gulf of Mexico as a tropical storm on Monday, Sept. 9, strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane by Tuesday evening. The storm is projected to make landfall along the Louisiana coast on Wednesday before weakening as it travels north over the Mississippi River Valley.
Charlotte residents can expect scattered showers and storms starting late Thursday. The heaviest rainfall is likely to occur west of the I-77 corridor, with the mountains and foothills receiving 1 to 3 inches of rain. Most of the rain will occur between Thursday and Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.
🌧️The remnants of Hurricane Francine will remain well to our west, but a broad area of moisture lifting into the region will bring a return of showers Thursday through Saturday.#ncwx #scwx #gawx pic.twitter.com/hQEVHXqNL2
— NWS GSP (@NWSGSP) September 11, 2024
Temperatures on Tuesday reached the mid-80s, with low humidity offering a break from the typical summer heat. Wednesday is expected to bring similar conditions, though with increasing cloud cover ahead of the approaching tropical moisture.
As Francine weakens and moves north, tropical moisture will filter into the Carolinas late in the week, bringing scattered showers and storms through the weekend. While significant flooding isn’t expected, areas west of Charlotte, particularly in the mountains, could see heavier rainfall and isolated thunderstorms.
