Rain to clear out overnight for dry start to Memorial Day weekend

Heavy rain and hail were the primary threats from the storms, and WRAL Chief Meteorologist Greg Fishel said strong winds could pose an small threat as well.

Thunderstorms could spark at any time through the afternoon and evening, and they could include heavy rain, hail and strong winds, but the threat for tornadoes abated with the storms that moved out of the region early Thursday morning.

"At any one given moment, most of the area is not raining, but if you happen to get underneath one of these thunderstorms, then it can be a significant deal for a short period of time," Fishel said.

The risk for severe weather is a level one on a five-level scale and Fishel said the threat of storms should disappear after dark.

"Once the sun goes down, all this will die quickly," he said.

The chance of rain on Friday drops down to 5 percent to lead into Memorial Day weekend. Rain chances will increase over the holiday weekend, though, to 30 percent on Saturday, 40 percent on Sunday and 30 percent on Monday, and temperatures will rise to near 90 degrees.

"It will not rain every second of the day, so there will be some opportunities for you to get out and enjoy yourself," Fishel said.

No damage was reported after multiple tornado warnings were issued Wednesday night for Johnston, Sampson, Wayne, Nash, Edgecombe and Halifax counties.

Tornado watches for parts of central North Carolina, including Durham, Wake and Johnston counties, all expired earlier than anticipated as the storm system moved toward the Virginia line at about 8 p.m.

Although no tornadoes were reported in or around the Triangle, some western counties saw funnel clouds and significant damage.

The National Weather Service confirmed that an EF-2 tornado touched down in Yadkin and Davie counties on Wednesday afternoon.

Courtney Elementary School gymnasium in Yadkin County, to the west of Winston-Salem was destroyed by a tornado at about 4:20 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. School was not in session when the storm moved through, and no students were in the building although several employees and teachers were present.

No injuries were reported, according to Yadkin County school officials.

Several vehicles flipped and people were trapped inside homes in Yadkin County as well.