Friday dawns windy, wet in NC

The swath of showers was expected to cover central North Carolina through the night and into Friday, said Chief Meteorologist Greg Fishel.

"With a northeast wind at 10 to 20 mph and a driving rain, it will be downright nasty overnight," he said.

The same storm system brought a blizzard warning for New York City, the Connecticut suburbs and the Boston area where the forecast called for snow measured in feet rather than inches.

The Triangle won't get any of that white stuff, Fishel said, but could see up to an inch of rain.

"No thunderstorms are in our forecast, but the coastal areas could see them and some could become strong after midnight," Fishel said.

The winds will gradually get stronger through the night and some areas east of the Triangle could see gusts of up to 30 mph Friday morning, Fishel said.

The low pressure will track northeast out of the Carolinas and toward New England. The snow was forecast to start Friday morning, with the heaviest amounts dumped on the region that night and into Saturday as the storm moves past New England and upstate New York, the National Weather Service said.

After the rain clouds clear, Saturday looks to be sunny but breezy with temperatures rising into the mid-50s.