Risk for flooding, damaging winds come with storm system Friday

"When you see the Storm Prediction Center issue a level three threat three days out, you have to take notice," WRAL meteorologist Mike Maze said.

While the Triangle and eastward are under an enhanced risk for severe weather Friday, western areas of the state are under a slight risk.

Maze said the damaging winds, large hail and tornados are the biggest threats from the storms. Even regions that see only showers on Friday could still experience strong winds.

"When this system gets here, the winds, even outside of thunderstorms, could gust to 40 mph," he said.

Maze said the good news is that there will be a low level of energy in the atmosphere to fuel the storms when they arrive in the late afternoon.

"The storms may not be all that widespread. They still have the potential to be severe, there could still be a tornado, but it's great that we're seeing low storm energy when the main event gets here," he said.

Thursday is expected to be partly cloudy but calm.

Sprinkles move in to the Triangle around 8 a.m. Friday.

Heavier rain and some storms are forecast to arrive around noon, and more organized line of storms will begin moving through the Triangle around 5 p.m.

That storm system is expected to hit Rocky Mount and Fayetteville around 7 p.m. and continue moving east through the night.

Once that system moves out, though, heavy rainfall is still possible.

There’s a 40 percent chance for rain on Saturday. Easter Sunday is expected to be mostly clear.