Spring-like warmth: 80-degree temps today and tomorrow
It's not officially spring, but this week will make you think that it is.
Lows in the morning will be in the upper 40s.
Things will heat up quickly tomorrow. By noon we'll have clear skies and termperatures in the mid 70s.
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- Thursday: Mainly sunny. High of 81.
- Friday: Isolated storms possible. High of 80.
- Saturday: Considerable cloudiness with occasional rain showers. High 75.
Looking ahead: Temps in the 80s this to close the week
Thursday will be our first day of the year in the 80s, with a high of 81 degrees.
Friday's high will be even warmer at 82 degrees at RDU and 83 in Fayetteville. Despite the warmth, a record won't be broken -- the records for Thursday and Friday are in the upper 80s.
We likely won't break the record high for these dates: In 1990, the record for March 14 was set at 86 degrees and in 1973 we saw a record of 87 degrees on March 15.
With all those warmer temperatures comes more flowers - and you could see an increase in your allergies as pollen counts rise.
We'll also start seeing longer days and later sunsets, so you'll be able to stay outside and enjoy the springtime warmth even more each evening.
Warmer temperatures, however, do not mean the end to our hard freezes.
"The average last hard freeze is between March 21 and March 31," WRAL meteorologist Aimee Wilmoth said. "With warming temps, many like to go out in the garden, just keep in mind, we could still get freezing temps."
Possible wet weekend
Friday will be partly cloudy to start with but late in the afternoon we will see a few isolated showers and storms. Severe weather doesn't look likely.
We will also have a 30% chance for rain on Sunday.
Don't put your jacket away just yet. We'll see a cooldown again next week, with highs in the 50s once again.
Rainfall to start 2024 above normal in some areas
We have a surplus of rain at RDU, with 7.7 inches of rain, a surplus of .72 inches. Rain totals in Fayetteville, however, are at a slight deficit at 6.01 inches of rain.
Fayetteville will have plenty of chances to get more rain, as WRAL meteorologists expect above average rainfall for meteorological spring.
"During the same period, it's expected to be warmer than normal," WRAL meteorologist Mike Maze said. "I don't [expect] drought conditions to be an issue this spring."
7-day forecast for central NC
- Thursday: Mainly sunny. High 81.
- Friday: Isolated storms possible. High of 80.
- Saturday: Considerable cloudiness with occasional rain showers. High 75.
- Sunday: Happy St. Patrick's Day. Chance for rain with a high of 73.
- Monday: Cloudy skies with a few showers possible. Highs in the upper 60s.
- Tuesday: Mostly clear. High of 56.
- Wednesday: Cloudy. High of 65.
Eyes on the sky for 2024 total solar eclipse
April 8 is the date of the next total solar eclipse for North America. We won't see a total eclipse in North Carolina, but lots of people will travel to take it in! Ohio will be the closest spot to drive to from Raleigh for the path of totality.
