Raleigh is under mostly cloudy skies Friday afternoon, with temperatures around 79 degrees and a high near 79. Northeast winds around 8 mph will keep a light breeze moving through the Capital City. The calm setup will not last long. The National Weather Service’s Raleigh forecast gives the current conditions and Friday forecast.
Rain Arrives Saturday, Then Builds
Saturday begins the weather turn, with rain likely mainly after 3 p.m. and a high near 70 degrees. Northeast winds will run 8 to 13 mph, with gusts reaching 23 mph, making outdoor plans feel decidedly less appealing. The chance of precipitation is 60%. The National Weather Service forecast for Raleigh has the latest timing, temperatures and wind details.
Rain is likely Saturday night, possibly with a thunderstorm, followed by showers and a possible thunderstorm after 11 p.m. Winds from the east will run 11 to 14 mph, with gusts up to 23 mph, and the chance of precipitation is 90%. The National Weather Service’s Raleigh forecast gives the updated overnight outlook.
Sunday Brings The Heaviest Weather
Sunday looks like a wet day, with showers and possibly a thunderstorm and a high near 79 degrees. Around Raleigh, the forecast calls for another half to three-quarters of an inch of rain Sunday; storm totals across central North Carolina are expected to average 1 to 2 inches. Localized flooding remains possible in urban areas and places with poor drainage. The Raleigh point forecast gives Sunday’s expected rainfall, while the NWS regional discussion gives the broader storm-total estimate.
The rain is tied to tropical moisture being pushed northeast by the remnants of Isaias, with the National Weather Service expecting the heaviest widespread rainfall from Saturday evening into Sunday. A brief lull is possible around midday Sunday before another band of showers and storms moves through. A cool, damp air wedge is expected to keep the weekend cooler in the northwest Piedmont, while totals may be higher farther east. Raleigh forecasters’ discussion of the storm setup puts central North Carolina storm totals near 1 to 2 inches.
The overall severe-weather threat remains low, but isolated strong to severe storms capable of damaging wind gusts cannot be ruled out Sunday afternoon and evening, mainly across far eastern and southeastern areas. The National Weather Service outlook also notes a Marginal Risk of damaging winds and perhaps a few tornadoes, greatest along and east of U.S. Highway 1. No watches, warnings or advisories are listed for Raleigh. The Raleigh-area hazardous weather outlook describes the local risk.
Flood alerts vary across the state: the Flood Watch issued Friday afternoon covers eastern North Carolina counties, not Wake County, and warns of 3 to 6 inches of rain there, with locally higher amounts possible. Raleigh’s forecast office lists no watches, warnings or advisories for its area, though its outlook flags a Marginal Risk of severe storms for central North Carolina on Sunday. The contrast reflects a forecast with heavier rain and flooding concerns toward the coast. The eastern North Carolina Flood Watch details identify the covered counties and rainfall range.
Sunshine Returns Monday
The weekend storm pattern is a sharper shift from the earlier outlook, which had a less certain rain signal; Hoodline previously reported on the developing change. Conditions are expected to clear from west to east overnight into Monday morning, setting up a sunny Columbus Day with a high near 81 degrees. The National Weather Service’s current Raleigh forecast calls for sunshine and the updated high.
Tuesday and Wednesday also look sunny, with highs near 81 and 80 degrees, respectively. By Thursday, Raleigh should settle into another sunny day with a high around 76.
