Low pressure brings rain chances to Triangle

After more than a week of dry weather, an approaching low pressure system will bring clouds to the Triangle Monday and rain chances beginning Monday night through early Thursday, WRAL Meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner said. 

Temperatures will climb into the mid 70s during the day Monday as skies become mostly cloudy by evening. 

"Everybody is going to end up seeing a good bit of cloud cover by the end of the day," Gardner said. "Rain rolls in tonight, and we'll definitely be dealing with it tomorrow morning."

Showers are possible during the day Monday from the Fayetteville area south, but the best chances for rain across most of the area will begin Monday night, Gardner said. Lows will dip into the mid 50s heading into what will likely be a wet Tuesday.

"You'll be lugging around the rain gear," she said. "It could be a messy commute Tuesday morning."

Rain chances will continue into Wednesday before skies begin to clear early Thursday. Some areas of the Triangle could see a quarter to a half an inch of rain, Gardner said. The heaviest rain will be in the coastal plain. 

"We may see some fairly significant rain out of this system as it heads northward," she said. "The heavier rain may be east of the viewing area."

Gardner said clear skies and dry weather should return in time for the N.C. State Fair, which begins Thursday afternoon. Sunny skies will dominate the forecast late in the week as highs reach into the low 70s. Overnight lows should dip into the low to mid 40s late in the week and into the weekend. 

"We're still expecting a beautiful weekend next weekend," Gardner said. "The first weekend of the fair looks awfully nice."