Hot, steamy Wednesday on tap before storms move in for holiday weekend
The summer heat returns this week, and scattered storms are on tap for the holiday weekend,
The morning will feel nice at the bus stops, with clear skies and lows in the low 60s
By the time we get to 10 a.m, we'll be in the 70s.
- Wednesday: Intervals of clouds and sunshine. Highs in the upper 80s.
- Thursday: Mostly sunny skies. High of 92.
- Friday: Partly to mostly cloudy with scattered showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the mid to upper 80s.
Warming week before storms return
We're in the hottest part of the week on Wednesday.
It's going to feel like summer all week, with temperatures in the upper 80s on Wednesday and the lower 90s Thursday.
Thursday will be our third day this month in the 90s. The average number of 90-degree days at RDU in May is 2.
Humidity will make it feel steamy outside, but Thursday and Friday will feel tropical.
While we'll be in the 80s for the next few days outside of Thursday, it will feel hot, with heat indices in the 90s starting on Thursday.
Most of the week will stay dry, with little to no chance for rain, but storms could return Thursday and into Memorial Day weekend.
Memorial Day weekend storms
On Memorial Day, we could see a 50% chance of storms, but the weekend won't be a complete washout.
According to WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner, Friday will be partly cloudy with late-day storms possible in the evening and overnight.
There is some good news -- rain chances have backed off a bit for Saturday. Again, showers and storms will be more likely in the evening.
"I still feel like we have a chance," Gardner said, but even with scattered thunderstorms, the weekend should not be a washout.
"As it looks now, we would not be talking about washout conditions but, rather, scattered coverage each day," said WRAL meteorologist Anthony Baglione.
Once the front moves through, we'll have some cooler days ahead.
7-day forecast for central NC
- Wednesday: Intervals of clouds and sunshine. Highs in the upper 80s.
- Thursday: Mostly sunny skies. High of 92.
- Friday: Partly to mostly cloudy with scattered showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the mid to upper 80s.
- Saturday: 40% chance for rain and storms. Highs in the mid 80s.
- Sunday: A few showers and storms possible. Highs in the mid 80s.
- Monday (Memorial Day): Scattered showers possible. Highs in the upper 80s.
- Tuesday: Partly cloudy skies with a few showers and storms possible this afternoon and into the evening. Highs in the mid 80s-90
Prepare for a busy 2024 Atlantic hurricane season
The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season will see 15 to 20 named storms in the Atlantic basin, according to researchers at North Carolina State University.
The number of named storms is significantly higher than the long-term average and moderately higher than recent 30-year averages, according to Lian Xie, professor of marine, earth and atmospheric sciences at N.C. State.
In 2024, N.C. State researchers predict:
15-20 named storms
10 to 12 may grow strong enough to become hurricanes (the historical average is six)
Three to four becoming major hurricanes
Meanwhile, 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.
