After enjoying a stretch of dry, seasonable weather, central North Carolina will get a few more days of sunshine before a strong low pressure system pushes through early next week.

Friday will bring more of the same: sunshine with clear conditions overnight. Temperatures will be about 10 degrees above average Friday afternoon, with many across the southern Piedmont expected to break into the lower 80s. Saturday will be similar to Friday before clouds begin increasing Sunday afternoon.

A storm system will develop over the Mississippi River valley late in the weekend and move across the Carolinas by early next week with the system's cold front expected to cross through the region on Tuesday.

As it continues its track eastward, it will first bring increasing rain and storm chances for Monday and Tuesday, with perhaps some lingering shower activity into Wednesday.

Once this passes, a cold air mass will spill into the eastern third of the country, likely bring the coldest air North Carolina has seen so far this season.

Temperatures are expected to dip a good 10 degrees below average by the middle of next week with highs only expected to reach into the 50s and low 60s Wednesday and Thursday.

Overnight lows will again be in the 30s and 40s, bringing the threat for widespread frost back to the area.