Asheville, North Carolina – Mountain communities across western North Carolina could see renewed winter travel issues as a late-January weather pattern increases the chance for accumulating snow across the higher terrain.
According to the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center, western North Carolina is included in a slight risk for heavy snow from Saturday through the following Friday, signaling a higher likelihood of one or more organized winter systems affecting the southern Appalachians. The risk is focused on higher elevations, where colder air is more likely to hold.
In the Asheville area and across Buncombe County, temperatures trending below normal raise the likelihood that any precipitation falls as snow, especially during overnight and early morning hours. That could lead to slick conditions along Interstate 40, Interstate 26, and mountain access roads.
Farther north, including Boone and the High Country, elevation-driven enhancement could allow snow to accumulate efficiently over multiple rounds. Travel along U.S. 421, U.S. 321, and secondary mountain roads may become hazardous quickly during heavier snowfall. Foothill communities such as Hickory could also see accumulating snow if colder air presses farther east.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation urges drivers to monitor road conditions closely, limit non-essential travel during snow, and prepare vehicles with winter safety supplies. With colder air favored to persist, any snow that falls may linger in shaded and higher-elevation areas.
More detailed outlooks and potential winter weather advisories are expected as the late-January window approaches, with clearer timing and impacts becoming available by early next week.
