Raleigh residents should prepare for a wet and stormy week ahead, as the National Weather Service (NWS) Raleigh NC branch forecasts a high chance of rain and possible thunderstorms. Starting this afternoon, there's a slight chance of rain with mostly cloudy skies and a high near 76 degrees. The calm before the storm, with a northeast wind blowing at 5 to 11 mph, gusting as much as 20 mph.
The likelihood of precipitation climbs tonight to an 80% chance, bringing rain and thunderstorms, leading to showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 1 am. Lower temperature will hover around 61 degrees, with north winds blowing 7 to 10 mph. According to NWS Raleigh, there could be new rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch.
Heavy rainfall is expected to continue through Tuesday with a robust chance of showers and thunderstorms into the afternoon. The high for Tuesday is forecasted to be around 68 degrees, accompanied by north winds at 11 to 13 mph, and gusts that could reach up to 21 mph. The NWS warns of new rainfall amounts ranging from half to three-quarters of an inch.
Residents in areas like Granville, Vance, Warren, Halifax, and others in the central North Carolina region are advised to watch for isolated instances of flash flooding, particularly in poor drainage areas. The weather outlook anticipates a swath of 2 to 3 inches of rain, and locally higher accumulations, could affect the northeast Piedmont and northern through central Coastal Plain. "Isolated instances of flash flooding may result, mainly in poor drainage areas," noted the Hazardous Weather Outlook from the NWS. Weather spotters in the region are on alert and are encouraged to report significant conditions.
As the week progresses, rainfall chances decrease, with Wednesday offering a 30% chance of rain before 2 pm and a slight respite by Thursday, which is forecasted to be mostly sunny with a high near 80 degrees. The relatively fair weather should hold until the weekend with sunny days and clear nights expected, though residents should remain vigilant and stay updated on the latest weather conditions.
