Temps, rain will fall Saturday; some could see snow

Saturday will start off mild, with temperatures in the 50s and 60s, before a cold front arrives from the north and west and sends temperatures crashing down.

"When you join me Saturday night, we're going to be looking at 30s and 40s," Maze said.

"It's not that often that we experience dramatic temperature drops with a cold front, but we have that potential on Saturday," Maze said.

Rain moves in overnight, and by early Saturday it will be widespread across central North Carolina.

Those participating in the 5K and 1-mile run associated with the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series Saturday morning at Dix Park in Raleigh should be able to complete the course before heavy rain begins to fall.

"The cold front begins to move in from Virginia roughly around lunchtime and then moves to the south. Falling temperatures will be in its wake," Maze said. "We're looking for the severe weather throughout the eastern part of the state as well."

As the temperature drop and rainfall gets heavier, it makes for a miserable afternoon.

Expect steady rain and even some thunderstorms throughout Saturday and into the evening. As the system begins to wind down into the evening, it's quite possible that counties along the northern North Carolina border could see a changeover to some wet snowflakes.

Forecast models show about an inch of snow could accumulate along the Virginia line. The line where the rain changes over to snow could dip into Orange and Durham counties.

Given the recent warmth and a surface temperature that won't get below 50 degrees Saturday, Maze said he does not expect any snow to accumulate on roads.

Skies should clear Saturday by midnight, but temperatures will continue to fall and make for a chilly start to the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon on Sunday morning. At 7 a.m., temperatures will linger around freezing and will only climb to the low 40s by 10 a.m.

The cold air could also cause problems on the roads Sunday morning should any moisture linger.

"After all this clears out, our temperatures will continue to fall on down to the upper 20s and low 30s near the Virginia line," WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner said. "At that point, some of the bridges may get slick, but it won't be because of accumulating wintry precipitation.

"(It will) just be because of the temperatures dropping down below freezing with some lingering wetness on the roads."