Raleigh residents can expect a mixed bag of weather conditions today with scattered showers and thunderstorms in the early morning giving way to gradual clearing and a pleasant high of 75 degrees. Despite a 30% chance of rain and thunderstorms between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m., the new precipitation amounts aren't expected to exceed a tenth of an inch—though this could be higher within the thunderstorm activity, according to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Raleigh.
The rest of the day should bring some respite as the skies clear, and it's a similar story for tonight, with the NWS forecasting mostly clear conditions and a drop to a cooler low of around 38 degrees, the wind maintaining a gentle pace from the northwest at 6 to 8 mph, however, this would be a temporary reprieve as Thanksgiving Day ushers in a sunny day albeit capped at a high near 52 degrees with a continuation of that northwest breeze pulling at 6 to 9 mph.
The NWS outlook extends to assert that clear skies will oversee Thursday night's low of around 31 degrees, while Friday is set to bask under the sun once again, though offering a high nearing a chillier 45 degrees, alongside northwest winds 7 to 14 mph, gusting as high as 24 mph—and a mostly clear Friday night expected to descend to about 25 degrees.
Raleigh’s weather pattern swings from the mercy of scattered showers today to the firm grip of sunny, yet brisk, days with the NWS reaffirming a high near 45 in mostly sunny conditions for Saturday, and partly cloudy skies by nightfall as temperatures plunge to about 29 degrees, mild weather seems to hold reign till Sunday where the partly sunny day shifts to a 40% chance of rain at nightfall, the following days continuing such sporadic forecasts with rain likely late into Tuesday.
In terms of safety, a Hazardous Weather Outlook has been issued by the NWS for central North Carolina residents with an alert to strong and gusty winds post-cold front passage—particularly acute late this afternoon in the western regions, and during the evening in the east, gusts potentially reaching 35 or 40 mph.
Looking further ahead, thermostats will be stretched as very cold temperatures are anticipated on Friday night and Saturday morning, with widespread lows of 20 to 25 degrees forecasted. "Spotter activation is not expected at this time," concludes the Hazardous Weather Outlook, suggesting that despite the sharp drop in temperature, no severe weather that would necessitate the mobilization of weather spotters is anticipated in the coming days.
