Rain may impact Tuesday evening commute, WRAL Weather Alert Day on Thursday ⛈️
Showers will be likely Tuesday and Wednesday before a WRAL Weather Alert Day on Thursday.
Temperatures will climb into the upper 70s Tuesday afternoon. Showers and storms will be possible Tuesday afternoon and into the evening.
"Once we get to 10 or 11 a.m., we're starting to see some of those showers pushing in, but it'll be fairly light," WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner said. "Once it moves into our area, it really kind of lightens up and we'll just see a few isolated showers."
The weather on Tuesday will be more humid ahead of the rain.
"It will be noticeably more humid with dew points in the 50s instead of the 40s," WRAL meteorologist Mike Maze said.
- Tuesday: Cloudy with a chance of showers for the afternoon. High of 76.
- Wednesday: Warming to 78 with another sprinkle possible in the afternoon.
- Thursday: WRAL Weather Alert Day. Showers and thunderstorms possible. Highs in the mid 70s.
Rain chances on the rise this week
Spring weather – with highs in the 70s and a chance for rain just about every afternoon – returns this week across central North Carolina.
Scattered showers are possible Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
We will see a 50% chance for rain during the afternoon commute on Tuesday and should dissipate by 8 p.m.
Wednesday's rain chances will be lower than Tuesday, with a 30% chance for showers, but it will be cloudy.
WRAL Weather Alert Day issued for Thursday
The best chance for rain and even thunderstorms comes Thursday afternoon, which is a WRAL Weather Alert Day.
A strong cold front will bring the chance of severe storms Thursday mid-afternoon through midnight. The northern portion of our area is under a Level 1 and areas from the Triangle southward are under a Level 2 risk for severe storms. In the Level 2 risk, which includes the Triangle, we will have a chance of isolated tornadoes, wind damage and heavy rain.
WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner said some areas could see up to an inch of rain Thursday.
"We may see some showers in the morning on Thursday, but the best chance of rain comes mid- to late-afternoon," Gardner said. "We could be in for a rough afternoon on Thursday."
Winds on Thursday could gust up to 45 mph, and Gardner said it will be windy through Friday afternoon.
The outlook for the coming weekend looks clear and warm. We could reach 80 degrees on Sunday.
With all this warm weather, the flowers and trees are blooming – meaning pollen counts are high. If you're sneezing, that could be why!
7-day forecast for central NC
- Tuesday: Isolated afternoon showers. Highs in the mid 70s.
- Wednesday: Mostly cloudy skies with a slight chance for a few showers. High of 78.
- Thursday: Showers and thunderstorms possible. Highs in the mid 70s.
- Friday: Breezy and cooler. High of 72.
- Saturday: Sunny with highs in the low 70s.
- Sunday: Partly cloudy and warmer. High of 83.
- Monday: Mostly sunny and still warm. Highs in the lower 80s.
Prepare for a busy 2024 Atlantic hurricane season forecast
Forecasters at Colorado State University are calling for 24 named storms in the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. That is higher than the average year, when 14 storms earn a name.
CSU forecasters say 11 storms will reach hurricane strength, up from the average of seven, and five of those hurricanes could be "major," that is Category 3, 4 or 5, with winds over 111 mph.
