Warm temps ward off weekend snow in Triangle

A low pressure system moving northeast from the Gulf will bring with it rain on Friday afternoon that will soak the afternoon and evening commute, said WRAL Meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner. The system also brings a slight chance on thunderstorms or severe weather along the coast.

“Once (the rain) starts, it’s going to be heavy,” Gardner said, “and there may be a few rumbles of thunder out there, too.”

The rain will ease up later Friday night, giving way to partly cloudy skies on Saturday with temperatures in the 50s, Gardner said.

A sprinkle or snow flurry is possible on Sunday morning, but the temperature will again be too warm to bring any significant snow to eastern North Carolina.

On Wednesday, the American and European weather models were offering differing predictions for snowfall, with the American model predicting a more than a 50 percent chance of at least a dusting.

WRAL Meteorologist Nate Johnson said there is potential to see a flurry early Sunday morning, but the weather shouldn't affect travel.

“We may see a few flakes in the morning hours on Sunday," he said. "Nothing to get too worried about, no need to cancel anything.”

WRAL Chief Meteorologist Greg Fishel said the high pressure to the north will not be in position to deliver the low-level cold air required for snow accumulation.

"We could see sprinkles, but anything that's going to cause any problems is highly unlikely," he said.

Temperatures will drop at the beginning of next week with a high of 35 degrees on Monday.

“The thing that is going to happen—and I can guarantee this with a lot of certainty—the start of next week is going to be rather chilly,” Johnson said.