Raleigh, N.C. — Warm, muggy conditions that have set up shop in central North Carolina will stay put through the Friday, but changes are on the way for the weekend and early next week, WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner said.

"We're going to have a few more days of the muggy conditions thanks to very high dew points" Gardner said. "That includes the chance for afternoon thunderstorms Wednesday and again on Thursday."

Storms aren't expected to become severe either day, but some areas could see locally heavy downpours. 

Highs should top out in the upper 80s both days before sunshine and temperatures in the low-to-mid 90s make an appearance Friday afternoon. 

On Saturday, a cold front moving through the area will begin the transition to cooler temperatures. 

"We are moving into September now, and this month always brings us a lot of changes," Gardner said. "We'll get hot Friday and then cool again by the end of the weekend. We could see highs around 80 degrees with much lower humidity by Monday."

On Tuesday morning, temperatures could dip into the upper 50s. 

Tracking Tropical Storm Leslie

Although Tropical Storm Leslie is still more than 1,200 miles southeast of the Triangle, the strong storm could impact North Carolina beaches this weekend, Gardner said. More Info     Coastal webcams

"This storm is strong enough and within the vicinity of the United States, so we're beginning to see some impacts on our coastline," she said. "We're going to have some heavy surf and rip current danger through the weekend, so keep that in mind if you're headed to the beach." 

Leslie, which had sustained winds of 65 mph early Wednesday, is expected to impact Bermuda by Thursday as it turns northward.

Forecasters expect the storm to reach Category 2 strength in the next two days but aren't forecasting it to move close to the eastern seaboard.