Charlotte could be seeing some snow over the next couple days as a powerful cold front blows through our area.

According to the National Weather Service, Charlotte has a 46% chance of receiving at least some snow on Tuesday;

and a 16% chance of seeing at least 1 inch of snow;

The NWS released the following statement about the incoming storm;

“A strong cold front will cross the area on Tuesday. Very cold air will move in behind the front with snow possible mainly across the high elevations of the mountains beginning early Tuesday morning. A significant accumulation of snow is possible at elevations above 3500 feet by Tuesday afternoon. Lesser amounts of snow are possible across the mountain valleys and the North Carolina foothills. Very windy conditions are also possible, resulting in very cold wind chill values Tuesday night through Wednesday night. Average temperatures may also be nearly 15 degrees below normal Wednesday and Thursday which could cause significant impacts.”

The weather channel is predicting a low of around 20 in Charlotte and a 90% chance of precipitation on Tuesday;

If you moved here from Ohio or New York (like myself), you may be rolling your eyes, but if you’re from Florida or California, you might need to make some changes to prepare for the coming winter temperatures.

To prepare your car, top off all your fluids, especially your oil, power steering fluid, and antifreeze. You’ll also want to check your tires and make sure your air pressure is over 32 PSI.

To prepare your home, make sure to drain all fountains and exterior water fixtures. Always let at least one of your faucets drip to avoid freezing pipes. Consider buying a humidifier if you’re sensitive to dry air. If you have an older home with older windows, investing in some shrink film insulation will save you a ton on your heating bill.

To prepare yourself, buy some thermal gloves, a warm hat, and a winter jacket. If you’re going to spend any length of time outside, you may even want to consider buying an electric heating jacket.

If you have a pet – make sure to read our article about how to keep your furry friend warm!

With the partial government shutdown still lingering, the City of Charlotte has just announced they’ll be giving away free rides on all public transit systems around the city to unpaid federal workers, including the Lynx Light Rail, Gold Line streetcar, and all city buses.

They made the announcement on Facebook, saying that all federal workers need to do is show their badge and they can ride for free;

Yesterday afternoon, the president made a deal with congress to reopen the government for 3 weeks, but it’s unclear at this point how long it will take to get all the documents signed and the hundreds of thousands of furloughed federal workers paid.

The White House released the following tweet soon after the president announced the deal;

Because of the President’s actions, Federal workers will be paid in the coming days.

To the public servants who have worked without pay and been furloughed, we thank you. To Congress, it is time to negotiate and address the humanitarian crisis on our border once and for all.

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 25, 2019

Northwest School of the Arts has been named a National Magnet School of Distinction by Magnet Schools of America, the national association for magnet and theme-based schools.

Northwest School of the Arts is recognized internationally and is the only public arts magnet school serving Mecklenburg County students in grades 6 through 12. The school’s unique educational approach combines elements of creativity, art, and technical prowess with a strong academic foundation. The history and prestige that comes with Performing Arts means something different to everyone – that’s why our students have multiple ways to launch into a professional career down the path they choose in Band, Chorus, Costume Design, Dance, Musical Theatre, Orchestra, Piano, Theatre, Technical Theatre, and Visual Arts.

Principal, Melody Sears will be recognized and receive a National Magnet School of Distinction Merit Award on behalf of the school during an awards ceremony held at Magnet Schools of America’s 37th National Conference hosted by Baltimore County Public Schools in Baltimore, Maryland April 10-13, 2019.

To receive a national merit award, members of Magnet Schools of America must submit a detailed application that is scored by a panel of educators. These schools are judged and scored on their demonstrated ability to raise student academic achievement, promote racial and socioeconomic diversity, provide integrated curricula and instruction, and create strong family and community partnerships that enhance the school’s magnet theme.To learn more about the national merit awards program, please visit www.magnet.edu

“Our three Charlotte-area stores are well suited for our first launch of Home Delivery as Charlotte is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, with diverse demographics that will help us test this new offering across many types of customers,” a company spokeswoman in this week’s press release.

CarMax will begin to use Charlotte’s test market data to work out any issues and streamline the process, according to the release.

On the “Home Delivery” section of their website, CarMax notes, “Currently, CarMax Home Delivery is exclusively available in the Charlotte, NC, area. We will deliver a car to your home or place of business, as long as it’s within a 60-mile radius of Charlotte and not in South Carolina.”

Here is the promo video they released to our market:

CarMax Chief Marketing Officer Jim Lyski commented, “we will continue to lead the industry by delivering the car buying experience customers want, wherever they want it.”

Would you ever buy a car via ‘home delivery’?

CATS (Charlotte Area Transit System) held a meeting yesterday to talk about the future of the new light rail lines and public transit updates around Charlotte.

Officials released plans for the new east-west light rail line (which would eventually connect Gaston County with Matthews, NC) to run along Uptown Charlotte’s northern edge. They briefly considered a 1-mile-long tunnel under Uptown, but at an estimated price tag of over $1 billion, and countless unknown obstacles, officials decided to opt for a simpler route that would snake north of the city’s core.

The Silver Line plans now show the line running parallel with I-277 from Independence Blvd. to North Graham St., connecting with the highly anticipated ‘Charlotte Gateway Station‘.

Officials still plan on building Lake Norman’s ‘Red Line’, but since they haven’t been able to work a deal to use Norfolk Southern’s freight lines, they will just be adding new express bus services to the north until they are able to secure funding to lay a completely new line.

They plan on running express buses along the I-77 toll lanes and building 8 new park-and-ride facilities at Mooresville, Langtree, Griffith, Catawba, NorthCross, Gilead, Hambright and Northlake Mall.

CATS is also moving forward with the 2nd phase of the Gold Line streetcar, running from Central Avenue through uptown and west to Johnson C. Smith University. The $150 million plan is now scheduled to start shuttling passengers by fall of 2020.

CATS’ ambitious new plans will require substantially more funding than what was brought in by the 1/2 cent sales tax increase (totalling just $103 million last year).

Building the 3 new transit corridors (north, south-east, and west) have been estimated at costing between $6 billion and $8 billion, based on the per-mile cost of the Blue Line Extension.

They will likely need a balanced plan for federal, state, and more local tax money before they proceed with laying any new light rail track.

Sustain Charlotte is now seeking nominations for the 2019 Charlotte Sustainability Awards. Do you know a person, project, plan, business, or nonprofit that deserves to be honored for advancing smart growth and sustainability in Charlotte? Nominate them for a Charlotte Sustainability Award!

All nominees will be announced mid-March and winners will be revealed at Sustain Charlotte’s 8th annual event honoring those who are working toward sustainability and smart growth. The awards will take place Wednesday, April 24 from 6-9 p.m. at CenterStage@NoDa – 2315 N. Davidson.

Nominations can be made online before March 4 by visiting sustaincharlotte.org/awards. The entries will be judged by an independent panel of local Sustain Charlotte members. Nonprofits, neighborhood organizations, academic institutions/schools, businesses, and government agencies in the Greater Charlotte area are all welcome to apply. Self-nominations are welcome.

For more information on the nomination criteria and on the Charlotte Sustainability Awards, visit: sustaincharlotte.org/awards.