Another storm system will develop across the southeastern United States Wednesday. It will eventually bring an additional one to three inches of rain to central North Carolina from Wednesday night through Thursday.
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The weather pattern across the Carolinas over the next couple of days is actually a classic setup for a major winter storm. Colder air has made its way into North Carolina keeping temperatures in the 40s all day Wednesday. The developing storm system across the southeast will eventually bring precipitation into the cold air. If this was late December or January, we would be concerned about a messy mix of freezing rain, sleet, and snow.
However, it is mid-November, so it will not be quite cold enough for any wintry weather in central North Carolina. We will just see a cold rain. Lows will drop to the upper 30s early Thursday in the Triangle and will only warm to the low and mid 40s in the afternoon. Just south and east of Raleigh, temperatures could top out in the low 50s. Much warmer air is expected closer to the coast where highs could reach the upper 60s to near 70.
Any wintry precipitation will be confined to the High Country. Freezing rain could lead to ice accumulations up to 0.25" or 0.5" in the mountains and foothills including locations around Boone. This will lead to power outages and possibly dangerous travel conditions.
While the mountains watches for the potential of an ice storm, most of the rest of North Carolina must watch for the potential of flooding. The Triangle and Sandhills has already seen between three and five inches of rain this week. The additional one to three inches from Wednesday night through Thursday could lead to flooding in poor drainage areas. Creeks and rivers are also expected to crest at minor to moderate flood stage around the region.
Along the coast, the warmer air could lead to a few embedded strong storms with the locally heavy rain. There is a low risk for storms that could produce damaging wind gusts and isolated tornado near the immediate coast.
All of the rain should end across North Carolina by late Thursday afternoon and evening. Sunshine and dry weather will return for Friday and the weekend. Dry conditions are then expected to continue through at least the first half of next week.
Stay tuned to Weather on the 1s on Spectrum News for updates.
