Rain, sleet precede sunny, warmer weekend

Skies will clear and temperatures will warm up for a stretch of days in the 70s that extends into next week.

"Spring still taking its time getting here, feeling more like wintertime today," said WRAL meteorologist Aimee Wilmoth. "In fact, we've had some reports of sleet out there, with temperatures about 2,000 feet above the ground below freezing."

Viewers reported sleet in Apex, Chapel Hill, Cary, Pittsboro, Fuquay-Varina, Spring Lake, the Raleigh-Durham International Airport and other areas around 10:45 a.m. By mid-afternoon, Wilmoth said, the precipitation had switched over to all rain. 

The drenching will continue through the evening and overnight, with a chance for thunderstorms along the coast. 

Highs hit 50 degrees Thursday before the rain-bearing front caused temperatures to dip into the upper 40s by late afternoon.

Conditions begin to improve Friday, and plenty of sunshine is on tap for Saturday. 

"By Friday morning, we’ll still see a few spotty showers, maybe some drizzle, but we’ll start to improve throughout the day," Wilmoth said. "We’ll see the clouds start to thin by lunchtime and some peeks of sun by late afternoon and early evening."

By Sunday, temperatures will climb into the 70s and stay there for several days, topping out around 77 degrees by mid-week.