Back-and-forth weather pattern rolls along into weekend

A wild week of weather will end fittingly across the Triangle Friday and Saturday, with clouds, cool air and sprinkles giving way to sunshine and spring-like temperatures.

Friday's weather will be dreary for much of central North Carolina as a low pressure system and stalled front keep clouds around throughout the day, WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner said. Light sprinkles were falling in several spots during the morning, but most weren't heavy enough to cause any major problems during the morning commute.

"We're not going to end up seeing any major rain totals from today's activity, but it's going to be just enough to keep the windshield wet."

Temperatures were in the mid-40s about 8 a.m. and aren't expected to climb out of the mid-50s by the afternoon commute. 

On Saturday, however, temperatures will quickly jump back into the low 70s, anywhere from 10 to 15 degrees above normal for early December. The warm temperatures will be accompanied by partly cloudy conditions after the front generating Friday's showers moves northward.

"Some of those spotty showers could linger into the morning Saturday, but most of the area should be dry throughout the day and we'll see clearing skies," Gardner said. "Sunday looks gorgeous."

Highs will peak in the low 70s Sunday after overnight lows hover around 50 degrees.

Temperatures will fall quickly Tuesday as the next rainmaking front moves through, dipping back into the 50s. 

"We need any rain we can get," Gardner said. "We've been abnormally dry, and on Thursday parts of our viewing area were placed under a moderate drought. We saw very little rain the entire month of November."

Eleven counties have been added to the moderate drought category since last week, and 16 others are abnormally dry for early December.

At Raleigh-Durham International Airport, total precipitation for November was .56 inches, 2.56 inches below normal and much drier than last year, which featured precipitation just a bit above normal for the month.