Raleigh woke Wednesday to clear skies and temperatures in the mid-60s, but the day is headed toward a startling 91 degrees. The heat comes ahead of a strong Friday evening cold front that sends the Triangle back toward fall.
Record-Chasing Heat Through Friday
The National Weather Service calls for sunshine and a high of 91 Wednesday, with no rain in the forecast. That would beat Raleigh’s October 14 record high of 86 degrees set in 1985. Raleigh’s October 15 record is 88 degrees, set in 1985, while the October 16 mark is 86 degrees, set in 1925, according to the National Weather Service.
Wednesday night stays unusually mild, with mostly clear skies and a low around 65. Thursday remains sunny, and Friday starts sunny before winds become noticeably stronger, with daytime gusts up to 22 mph.
Friday Night Brings The Whiplash
The big change arrives Friday evening as a strong cold front sweeps across central North Carolina. A few showers are possible between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m., but the larger story is the temperature drop and gusty winds behind the front, with rain chances around 30%.
Saturday will feel like a different season, with sunshine but a high near 64 and brisk north winds. Saturday night falls to around 44 in Raleigh, while colder sheltered areas outside the city could see patchy frost.
Cooler, Calmer Weekend
Sunday stays sunny and cool near 65, followed by another clear night around 45. Monday rebounds to about 71 under mostly sunny skies, with Tuesday reaching the mid-70s.
