Freezing rain possible Monday night into Christmas Eve morning for parts of the Carolinas

There is a brief shot for a low-impact freezing rain event for parts of the Carolinas Monday night into early Christmas Eve morning. A cold air damming event will establish itself across the region with high pressure centered over the Northeast, allowing chilly air to drain into the Carolinas and northeastern Georgia. At the same time, an area of low pressure will begin to form off the Southeast Coast Monday into Christmas Eve. Enough moisture will move westward into the Carolinas, overlapping the cold temperatures late Monday night into early Christmas Eve morning for the possibility of wintry precipitation.

This event, if it happens, will be short-lived, and relatively unimpactful but there could be a few icy spots on elevated surfaces along with trees and powerlines so it needs to be mentioned because of how many people will hit the roads for Christmas along with the possibility of this icing at airports - on airplane wings, etc. Looking at the soundings, it appears enough cold air will be in place at the surface to support a brief window of freezing rain, and with how much dry air is in place, it could be more freezing mist/drizzle than anything. These soundings suggest either freezing rain/mist/drizzle for locations where the surface temperatures are at or below 32 or rain where temperatures are above 32 - there is too much warm air above the surface to support snow or sleet.

Sounding in central North Carolina early Tuesday morning

The highest probability of a brief freezing rain event looks to be near the I-85 corridor in North Carolina - including the Triad sometime between 10pm Monday through 10am Christmas Eve. Please note, it will not be a continuous freezing rain during this 12-hour window. Temperatures will also be near freezing and the best moisture will be closer to the coast where temperatures are above freezing so significant icing is not forecast. Temperatures climb safely above freezing by late morning on Christmas Eve and moisture departs the region.

Future radar Monday night

Future radar early Christmas Eve morning

Future radar mid-Christmas Eve morning

It should be noted, if any residual moisture remains on roadways Christmas Eve night, it would refreezing by Christmas morning but there should be enough dry air and wind in place to evaporate most of the moisture on roadways.