Raleigh, N.C. — Warm weather arrived Saturday afternoon as temperatures climbed into the 70s across much of central and eastern North Carolina.
After a foggy start to the day, the sun began to peek through in spots after lunchtime, allowing warm air to flow into the region from the south and west.
Saturday is the first of what looks to be a three-day run of weather much warmer than the average for early January. When temperatures pushed into the 70s after 3 p.m., Saturday became the first 70-degree day in January since 2008.
When Gov. Pat McCrory and his top officials took to the stage at the old State Capitol to be publicly sworn into office at 11 a.m., they were greeted by mostly cloudy conditions and temperatures in the upper 50s.
"As we go through the afternoon we'll see some breaks in those clouds and even some sunshine," Moss said. "The temperatures could rise quite rapidly once we see some sunshine peek through."
On Sunday, highs will likely top out around 74 degrees, short of the record high of 78 (2005) but still some 20 to 25 degrees above normal for mid-January.
Another round of showers will arrive in the Triangle for Monday and Tuesday. Temperatures stay warm for Monday, but Tuesday could be a shock to the system, Moss said. Rainy, cool conditions will see a dip into the 40s before more seasonal weather returns for Wednesday and the rest of the work week.
