Weak system produces snow flurries in spots; sunshine returning Friday

No significant accumulations were reported, WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner said, but some coastal counties were briefly placed under a winter weather advisory as the system moved through and off the coast early Friday.

Viewers from Raleigh to Red Oak reported snow on the ground, and the heaviest snowfall was in southern Sampson County near Harrels.

"We had some very interesting weather late Thursday and overnight," she said. "We did see some snow flurries in spots, and a few places saw dustings. But it shouldn't be any issue for the roadways, and that weak system is already out into the Atlantic."

Partly cloudy skies will return to the Triangle on the final day of the work week, and afternoon highs will reach the upper 40s before diving back toward freezing overnight.

Those cold temperatures could be one of the features that help produce another round of brief wintry precipitation on Saturday morning, Gardner said.

"We're going to have another very quick-moving system rush through the state overnight, and we could see a bit of wintry precipitation early Saturday morning," she said. "Some models are showing very, very little moisture with this system, so we could end up with nothing."

Highs Saturday will remain in the low 40s as clouds and rain showers linger across the area.

Sunshine will be back on Sunday, and it will help push afternoon temperatures into the mid-50s, close to normal for early February.

Colder air will be back in the Triangle by Monday, however, and daytime highs during the first half of the work week could struggle to climb out of the upper 30s.