Half and half weekend: Wet weather comes first

Rain is on the way for Saturday WRAL Chief Meteorologist Greg Fishel said.

The combination of an area of moisture sitting over the southeast, an upper-level disturbance coming in from the west and tropical moisture pushing north will produce prolific rainfall of up to two inches over the next 24 hours, Fishel said.

"All this is taking aim at the Carolinas and could produce copious amounts of rain," said WRAL meteorologist Mike Maze. 

"It looks like monsoon city here on Saturday," Fishel said. 

Clouds will dominate over central North Carolina Saturday with rain likely and heavy at times. Temperatures are likely to be in the 60s much of the day, about 15 degrees off the late-August norm. The weather is not the kind that will spur any severe weather or thunderstorms. 

Fishel adjusted his outlook for the weekend, though, noting that the heaviest of the rain should be confined to just one day.

"It looks a little more split," Fishel said, "with not as much rain on Sunday. That is the day to target for any outdoor activities."

Sunday still won't be a standard sunny summer day. It will be cloudy with temperatures still way below normal. "This is just outrageous for the middle of August in this part of the country," Fishel said.

The work week brings a drier trend, with just a slight chance of thunderstorms on both Monday and Tuesday before the sun makes a return by midweek.