Friday's high temps challenge 74-year-old record

Thermometers on Friday will clock a high of 78 degrees, and Saturday could reach into the low 70s, too. The record high for Friday is 79 degrees, set in 1942.

"Just for reference, our normal (temperature) this time of year is in the mid-60s," said WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner.

As the temperatures drop in the evening, though, high school football playoff games will kick off at 7 p.m. around 60 degrees.

"It looks like the rain is going to hold off (for the parade)," Gardner said. "The parade is over at noon, and that rain rolls through maybe 3, 4, 5 o'clock (in the afternoon)."

The temperature at 10 a.m. for the beginning of the parade will be 61 degrees, and it will warm up a few degrees by the end to 68 degrees.

While a brief band of rain hits the eastern side of the state, though, the mountains could see their first bit of winter weather.

"It's possible Saturday night that we would see some of our first snowflakes fly in the mountains of North Carolina and on up into West Virginia," Gardner said. "Not likely to be anything that will really accumulate, but still, it's kind of neat to say ... we'll get our first snow."

Temperatures on the back side of the front will drop again, keeping highs in the Triangle on Sunday and Monday in the 50s lows in the high 20s.