Raleigh is starting Friday, October 16, under fog and mist near 66 degrees, but the gray opening will give way to a mostly sunny afternoon and a forecast high of 89. Patchy fog should lift by about 7 a.m., and if the temperature reaches the forecast mark, it would top the Oct. 16 record high of 86 set in 1925. The warm spell will not last: a strong front is expected to send rain and much cooler air into the area overnight.
Heat Gives Way To Rain Overnight
Southwest winds will build from 8 to 13 mph Friday, with gusts as high as 21 mph, making the afternoon feel more like late summer than mid-October. Scattered showers could develop over the northwest Piedmont around 5 to 6 p.m. EDT, then spread east, with more widespread rain expected after midnight; the overnight rain chance is about 60%, and temperatures should fall to around 55. The National Weather Service in Raleigh expects rainfall to become more widespread after midnight.
Saturday Brings A 27-Degree Temperature Drop
Saturday is the forecast's sharp turn: rain is likely, with a high near 62 and roughly a quarter to half an inch possible. North winds of 10 to 15 mph may gust to 29 mph, so umbrellas could be working against the weather instead of with it. Another chance of light rain lingers Saturday night as the low drops to about 39.
Frost Risk Returns Before A Sunny Week
Sunday may start with showers before 8 a.m., then see steady rain through the day, with a high around 60; the low should settle near 46. The weather service says patchy frost is possible in colder, sheltered spots Sunday and Monday mornings. Skies then trend calmer and brighter, with highs near 65 Monday, 70 Tuesday, 71 Wednesday and 70 Thursday.
