Several rounds of rainfall from Tuesday, Feb 11 to Thursday, Feb. 13, are expected to sweep through Western North Carolina, bringing potential flooding and other hazards to the area.
The National Weather Service issued a hazardous weather outlook at 5:25 a.m. on Feb. 10, warning of several days of storms moving through WNC, Northeast Georgia and Western Upstate South Carolina.
NWS Meteorologist Clay Chaney told the Citizen Times that some areas could see up to 8 inches of precipitation. Here's what else we know.
How much rain will Asheville get? Western NC?
Chaney explained that many regions of WNC will get several inches of rain - but exact amounts will depend on the area. With multiple rounds of precipitation expected, Chaney added that it is more difficult to make exact predictions on rain amounts.
Somewhere between 3-5 inches of rain is the current prediction across the French Broad Valley including Asheville and eastern areas of the region, and between 5-8 inches in western areas of the region such as Haywood County and Brevard.
More rain is a possibility for Saturday, but predictions are still uncertain as of Monday.
Will it flood in Asheville, Western NC?
In the weather outlook, the NWS warned of several periods of rainfall. The first will be heavy rainfall on Tuesday night, with isolated nuisance flooding possible especially across the Southeast N.C. mountains, Northeast Georgia and Western Upstate South Carolina.
Another round of heavy rainfall is possible Wednesday evening into Thursday morning as a slow-moving cold front enters the area - further precipitation on top of wet soil could result in flooding in some areas.
"The first one or two rounds probably won't cause any issues, but they just kind of prime the soils for when we get later rounds, causing more runoff and more rapid responses on the streams and rivers," Chaney said.
Wind, winter weather risks
One piece of good news around the coming storms is that wind is not expected to be an issue.
"We're not expecting strong winds, not even on the ridge tops," Chaney said.
However, while wind isn't expected to be an issue, concern lies in more than just the heavy rain, particularly on Tuesday, Feb. 11.
"The eastern slopes from around Boone and Avery County, and then down toward Mount Mitchell and maybe even into parts of Buncombe County, like near Black Mountain, could see some freezing rain, especially tomorrow, into tomorrow night," Chaney said Monday.
Due to temperatures expected to near freezing, some areas could see accumulation of precipitation, making icy roads a possible risk.
Weekly weather forecast in Asheville
Currently, official NWS forecasts for the Asheville area during the week of Feb. 10 are:
Monday, Feb. 10 - Partly sunny, with a high near 51 degrees. North northwest wind 5-7 mph. Monday night there is a 30% chance of showers, mainly after 4 a.m., and weather will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 35 degrees. Calm wind becoming southeast 5-7 mph after noon.
Tuesday, Feb. 11 - Showers likely, mainly after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 41 degrees. Southeast wind 8-10 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Tuesday night will bring showers and a low around 37, as well as southeast wind 5-8 mph becoming light and variable. Chance of precipitation overnight is 100%. New precipitation amounts between 0.5-0.75 inch possible.
Wednesday, Feb. 12 - Showers. High near 48 degrees. South southeast wind 5-7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. Wednesday night will bring more showers, mainly before 5 a.m. The rain could be heavy at times. Low around 44 degrees. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
Thursday, Feb. 13 - A 30% chance of showers before 9 a.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 60 degrees. Thursday night will be partly cloudy, with a low around 31 degrees.
Friday, Feb. 14 - Mostly sunny, with a high near 52 degrees. Friday night will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 34 degrees.
Weekly weather forecast in Hendersonville
Hendersonville's weather forecast from the NWS is similar:
Monday, Feb. 10 - Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 50 degrees. North wind 7-9 mph. A 30% chance of showers overnight, mainly after 4 a.m. Mostly cloudy overnight, with a low around 34 degrees. North wind 5-7 mph becoming southeast in the evening. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Tuesday, Feb. 11 - Showers, mainly after 10 a.m. Patchy fog between 9 a.m-2 p.m. High near 38 degrees. Southeast wind around 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. More showers overnight, with a low around 35 degrees and east southeast wind 5-7 mph becoming northeast after 12 a.m. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between 0.75-1 inch possible.
Wednesday, Feb. 12 - Showers. High near 44 degrees. East wind 3-5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. More showers overnight, with a low around 40 degrees. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
Thursday, Feb. 13 - A 40% chance of showers before noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 61 degrees. Partly cloudy overnight, with a low around 33 degrees.
Friday, Feb. 14 - Mostly sunny, with a high near 49 degrees. Partly cloudy overnight, with a low around 33 degrees.
Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at [email protected].