It's going to be a chilly start to December in Raleigh, with the National Weather Service forecasting unseasonably cold air that's set to rush into the area this weekend and persist into the next week, "The coldest conditions will occur Monday through Wednesday morning, when highs will be in the upper 30s to upper 40s, with lows in the upper teens to mid 20s," according to the NWS Hazardous Weather Outlook latest update. Raleigh residents can expect mostly sunny skies today with a high near 52 and light winds shifting from calm to southwest at 5 to 8 mph in the afternoon.
In the evening, the clouds will play a bit of peek-a-boo, as the NWS predicts partly cloudy skies with an anticipated low around 28 degrees, and calm winds taking on a northwestern direction around 6 mph after midnight, consequently, if you're planning to be out, it may be wise to bundle up in layers and maybe carry a comforting hot beverage to ward off the creeping chill. Looking ahead to tomorrow, the sun will greet you, but so will a wind chill that could drop as low as 24 early in the day, with steady northwest winds at 5 to 8 mph are expected to add an extra bite to the morning air.
Thankfully, there's no hazardous weather expected today or tonight, which is a bit of reprieve for those dreading wintry surprises, but don't stow away your warm attire just yet, Tuesday and Tuesday night will maintain the trend of bright sunny days and mostly clear nights, however, temperatures will hover around 42 for the high and dip to a brisk 19 after sundown. "Hazardous weather is not expected at this time," the National Weather Service assures but the extended period of cold this week is certainly enough to have residents bracing and preparing for a sharp diversion from those mild November days.
The rest of the week does offer a gentle reprieve with slightly higher temperatures, Wednesday and Thursday are projected to be sunny with highs near 49 and 59, respectively; nightly lows will vary as the week progresses, taking a slight uptick on Wednesday night to around 38 before plummeting again on Thursday night to around 26, a reminder that winter is steadily encroaching with its inconsistent but ever-present colder embrace. By the weekend, Raleigh will experience highs in the mid-40s, and while nightfall will continue to usher in the cold, with lows expected to be in the mid-20s, the National Weather Service's forecast suggests an absence of severe weather disruptions, offering small comfort that, at least for now, the cold is all we have to shoulder.
