Raleigh, N.C. — Clouds, spotty drizzle and cool temperatures will linger across central and eastern North Carolina Wednesday and Thursday, but weekend sunshine will help bring warmer daytime highs perfect for outdoor activities, WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner said. 

Steady rain that fell across the entire Triangle overnight moved out of the area during the late morning hours, setting up a cloudy and cool afternoon.

"Today is just going to be a dreary, gray day," Gardner said.

Temperatures will dip back into the mid-30s early Thursday, and clouds will slow any daytime heating, keeping highs in the low 40s for much of the area. Some areas to the south and east of the Triangle could see a stray shower Thursday afternoon and evening, but much of central North Carolina will see only clouds.

On Friday, however, sunshine will help start a weekend warm-up that could push temperatures into the low 60s by early next week, Gardner said. 

"The clearing will help us warm up during the day, but it will also allow us to cool off more at night," she said. "Expect lows in the 20s this weekend with highs topping out in the low 50s. 

The warmest temperatures in the next seven days will come Monday and Tuesday, when highs should easily climb into the upper 50s to near 60 degrees.