We’re also following the new holiday Raleigh’s mayor just declared. Plus, how social media led to the arrest of a man accused of kidnapping and raping a young girl, and what we’re learning about one of four victims found dead in four days. Watch WRAL-TV at 11 p.m., and search for these and other stories on WRAL.com

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All assets associated with the tag: Elizabeth Gardner

Elizabeth Gardner Coverage

WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner on Wednesday joined East Wake High School's Class of 2023 for an appearance on the TODAY Show.

Elizabeth Gardner and East Wake High School make TODAY show appearance 

Elizabeth Gardner and East Wake High School appear on TODAY

We caught WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner on her way out the door to ask her about the record heat coming Friday, March 24, 2023.

We'll see 80, on Friday, we're not going to quite hit a record high Thursday. But on Friday, we're going to be just two or three degrees from the record. I think the farmers have had a rough go over the last couple of weeks. Last week, we had several days that were well below freezing and already this week we've had several days below freezing. So they've been busy, busy trying to protect our fruit crops. So now they're going to get a break. We don't have any more freezing temperatures in the forecast at least until early next week when we hit the eighties on Thursday and Friday, people are going to want to get outside. They're going to want to be planting and all of that. But wait just a few more weeks. Our average last freeze for most of our area is the first week to week and a half of April, we can have freezing temperatures into May. So if you wait until, say April 10th to the 15th, you should be ok.

85 degrees on tap this week. Elizabeth Gardner tells us when.

85 degrees on tap his week. Elizabeth Gardner tells us when.

WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner has worked at the station for 25 years.

ACE INHIBITORS COULD ALSO POSE A RISK. >> TODAY WE'RE CELEBRATING A MILESTONE ANNIVERSARY. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? 25 YEARS AGO TODAY, METEOROLOGIST ELIZABETH GARDNER STARTED WORKING HERE AT WRAL. WE THOUGHT IT'D BE FUN TO GO BACK INTO THE ARCHIVES TO RELIVE A FEW MEMORABLE MOMENTS THAT MAKE ELIZABETH ELIZABETH. OF COURSE, THEY'VE GOT A WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA. JUST BACK TO OUR WEST WEATHER GRAPHICS. SURE HAVE CHANGED BUT OVER 25 YEARS, ONE THING HASN'T. METEOROLOGIST ELIZABETH GARDNER GETTING YOU READY FOR ALL KINDS OF WEATHER. SO WE'RE EXPECTING THIS TO BEGIN AS A WINTRY MIX FROM THE STUDIO OR FROM A BUS ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL. HE STARTED THE WAKEFIELD HIGH SCHOOL. THEN LATER REPORTING OUTSIDE HER SON SCHOOL IN 2017. WHAT TO DO IS BRING ON THE WEATHER REALLY >> IT'S IT'S IN HAHA. I AM HAPPY FIRST DAY. I DON'T SEE A LIST IS ALWAYS UP OR SHOULD WE SAY DOWN FOR AN ADVENTURE? WE HAD A PERFECT LANDING. THANKS TO JIMMY. IT WAS JUST AN ABSOLUTE THRILL. THANKS, ELIZABETH. FOR 25 YEARS OF ALWAYS SUITING UP DOWN >> WE HOPE YOU'LL KEEP PADDLING WITH WRAL FOR MANY YEARS TO COME DOWN THE WORLD HOOKS. AND SHE'S SAYING THAT JIM WAS FROM A CHRISTMAS 20 YEARS AGO AND THE EXCEPT FOR THE HAIR A LITTLE BIT. YOU'RE NOT WE'RE LEE. SHE IS BLOOMING WHERE SHE'S WHEN I FIRST STARTED TO WORK WITH THAT, IT WAS FOR THE WEEKEND. THE DA SAYS A NUMBER ONE. >> YEAH, IT IS. BUT ALL THAT PROVES IS THAT I'M REALLY GOOD AT MAKING A FOOL OF HAHA, YOU ENJOY WHAT YOU DO. I TELL YOU WHAT THE MOST FUN IS BEING HERE WITH YOU GUYS. AND YOU KNOW, THAT SOUNDS LIKE A CLICHE, BUT I REALLY MEAN IT. I MEAN, THE MOST SPECIAL THING IS WALKING IN THE BUILDING AND BEING WITH EVERYBODY HERE. >> ALL DAY AND HAVING YOU TUNE IN AND WATCH AS WELL. SO I JUST I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S BEEN 25 YEARS. I MEAN, EVERYBODY SAYS THAT. BUT REALLY, I CANNOT I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT'S POSSIBLE.

WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner celebrates 25-year anniversary at the station

WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner couldn't help but laugh when she got the hiccups during her weather report just before 6:30 a.m. on Friday.

LOVELY PICTURE OF GRAY THAT WE HAVE BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO. THAT'S RIGHT. BUT AT LEAST IT IS DRY, ALTHOUGH IT IS CHILLY. METEOROLOGIST ELIZABETH GARDNER WITH THE QUIET START TO OUR WEEKEND. BUT THEN WE GET SOME UNPLEASANT WEATHER. KYLE. MY GOODNESS. WHAT A WEEKEND IT'S GOING TO BE. WE'RE GOING TO START OFF WITH SEVERE STORMS. >> AND END UP FEELING VERY MUCH LIKE WINTER PERCENT TUESDAY, SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING. I HAVE THE HICCUPS I CAN'T EVER REMEMBER HAVING THE HICCUPS ON THE AIR. IS THAT BEAR WITH ME? WE'RE GOING TO GET THROUGH THIS. ALRIGHT, CLOUDY SKIES. MID 40'S IN DOWNTOWN RALEIGH. WE'LL CONTINUE OUR LIVE CAMERA NETWORK TOUR OVER IN CHAPEL HILL WITH CLOUDY SKIES AND CHILLY TEMPS FOR JURORS TO AT 40 DEGREES. I KNOW THIS IS GOING TO CHECK RIGHT HIT BILL. WE'RE LOOKING AT CLOUDY SKIES AND 46 DEGREES. WE CHECK OUT OUR SATELLITE AND RADAR VIEW. WE HAVE THUNDERSTORMS THAT ARE ALREADY DEVELOPING DOWN HERE IN THE GULF OF MEXICO. SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF MOISTURE AVAILABLE. WE'LL HAVE SOME HEAVY RAIN WITH THESE STORMS THAT COME THROUGH TOMORROW MORNING. WE ALSO HAVE A FRONT BACK TO THE WEST. THIS ONE IS GOING TO HELP USHER IN THE COLD AIR AND REALLY GIVE US THE LIFT THAT WE NEED TO SEE THE STRONGER STORMS. SO HERE'S A LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENS JUST TODAY. WE'RE GOING TO SEE THIS WARM FRONT LIFTING NORTHWARD. SOME SHOWERS AHEAD OF THE WARM FRONT, BUT JUST RAIN. THAT'S WHAT WE'LL SEE LATE THIS AFTERNOON. AND OVERNIGHT TONIGHT. AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THE 2 FRONTS COMING TOGETHER. HERE'S THE COLD FRONT WITH SOME SNOW ACROSS A GOOD CHUNK OF THE COUNTRY. EVEN THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTH CAROLINA SHOULD GET SOME SIGNIFICANT SNOW OUT OF THIS. THE WARM FRONT LIFTS NORTHWARD AND DELIVERS A VERY JUICY UNSTABLE AIR MASS FOR US THAT IS WHERE WE COULD SEE SOME OF THESE STORMS DEVELOPING. THIS IS 05:00AM AND YOU CAN SEE SOME STORMS STARTING TO POP UP THE YELLOWS AND ORANGES. OF COURSE, ARE GOING TO BE WHERE THOSE STORMS ARE AND THEN A LINE DEVELOPS BETWEEN 6 AND 07:00AM AS THAT FRONT MOVES IN AND REALLY GIVES US SOME LEFT THE DEFINED THE LINE THERE IS WHERE WE'RE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE WIND DAMAGE POTENTIALLY TREES ON HOUSES. WE COULD SEE ISOLATED TORNADOES AND HAIL IN THAT LINE. BUT THAT LINE REALLY STARTS TO FORM UP JUST IN OUR FAR EASTERN COUNTIES IN THE MOVES CLOSER TO THE COAST OF THE CLOSER YOU ARE TO WILMINGTON OR TO THE COAST, THE MORE LIKELY YOU'LL HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR WIND DAMAGE. ONCE WE GET TO LUNCH TIME, THIS IS ALL OVER AND DONE WITH. WE'RE GOING TO SEE INCREASING SUNSHINE BUT WINDY CONDITIONS FOR SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND IT'S GOING TO BE BITTERLY COLD ON SUNDAY MORNING. THESE THAT IS A LOOK AT WHAT WE NEED IN ORDER TO SEE SOME OF THESE SEVERE STORMS IS OUR CHECKLIST MOISTURE. LOTS OF IT COMING UP FROM THE GULF. WE'RE GOING TO BE A LOT OF LIFT WITH OUR COLD FRONT COMING THROUGH ON WITH SOME WIND SHEAR, WHICH IS THE SPIN IN THE ATMOSPHERE THAT WE WOULD NEED FOR TORNADOES. BUT THE ENERGY INVOLVED IN PRODUCING THESE VERY STRONG STORMS THAT PRODUCED TORNADOES IS ALL GOING TO BE CLOSER TO THE COAST. WE'RE LOOKING AT THE GREEN SHADED AREA REALLY ALONG THE COAST, EVEN AT 06:00AM ON SATURDAY. AND WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS JUST SO WEAK ENERGY. SO THAT COULD MEAN THAT WE DON'T SEE A LOT OF WIDESPREAD STORMS, ESPECIALLY FROM I-95 WESTERN. BUT FROM I-95 EASTERN, WE CERTAINLY GET INTO THAT BETTER POTENTIAL TO SEE SOME OF THESE STRONGER STORMS WITH THOSE TORNADOES. OF COURSE, WE TAKE A LOOK AT OUR HOUR BY HOUR FORECAST FOR SATURDAY BECAUSE NOT ONLY WILL WE START WITH THE SEVERE STORMS, BUT WE'RE GOING TO END UP VERY CHILLY IN THE AFTERNOON AFTER LUNCHTIME. WE DROP IT DOWN INTO THE 40'S AND VERY QUICKLY INTO THE 20'S. WE'RE GOING TO SEE 21 DEGREES IN THE TRIANGLE AREA AND THE LAST TIME THAT WE SAW A 21 DEGREE MORNING IN MARCH WAS 2015 THAT 21 IS ONE DEGREE FROM THE RECORD 20'S, THE RECORD THAT DATE. SO NEAR RECORD LOWS WITH SOME TEENS IN TERMS OF THE WIND CHILL AND THEN SUNDAY, IT'S GOING TO BE CHILLY. WE GO BACK TO DAYLIGHT TIME AND THEN WE'RE BACK TO SOME SPRING-LIKE WEATHER NEXT WEEK. BRIAN, THOSE CHILLY TEMPERATURES FOR SUNDAY MORNING. ENOUGH TO SCARE YOU

Elizabeth Gardner gets the hiccups during weather report

Elizabeth Gardner explains why it won't snow this Christmas -- despite the snowflake app that may have appeared on some seven-day forecasts.

START TO WATCH THIS NEXT SYSTEM APPROACHING. NOW, OF COURSE, LAST WEEK IF YOU HAPPENED TO HAVE AN APP THAT JUST COMES ON YOUR PHONE, JUST COMES WITH IT, YOU KNOW, IT PROBABLY WAS SHOWING A SNOWFLAKE, MAYBE THURSDAY, FRIDAY, MAYBE SATURDAY. BECAUSE IT'S ONLY SHOWING ONE COMPUTER MODEL. OF COURSE WE ARE LOOKING AT THE PATTERN AND COULD TELL, THIS WAS NOT GOING TO BE A GOOD SNOW SETUP FOR US. AND SO WE ALWAYS ENCOURAGE YOU TO DOWNLOAD OUR WRAL WEATHER APP, WHICH DID NOT HAVE A SNOWFLAKE ON AND, UNFORTUNATELY, WE ARE NOT GOING TO HAVE SNOW. IF I COULD PUT THEM ON THERE, I WOULD. BUT THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE A GOOD SNOW SETUP FOR US. ON AND OFF RAIN FOR CHRISTMAS EVE. HERE'S WHY. IT'S GOING TO BRING A LOT OF WARMTH WITH IT. 63 DEGREES FOR THE HIGH ON THURSDAY. AND THEN WE WILL HAVE OUR FRONT COME THROUGH AND BEHIND IT TURNING MUCH COLDER FOR CHRISTMAS DAY. SO FROM 60s TO 40s. AND SO THE COLD AIR IS CHASING THE PRECIPITATION HERE AND IT JUST ISN'T GOING TO CATCH UP WITH IT. AND THAT'S NEVER A GOOD SNOW PATTERN FOR US. WHAT WE NEED TO SEE SNOW IS COLD AIR IN PLACE ALREADY AND THEN A LOW COMES UP FROM THE SOUTH OVER IT AND WITH ENOUGH COLD AIR IN PLACE, WE SEE SNOW BUT WITH ALL THIS WARMTH IN PLACE AND ALL THIS RAIN THAT FALLS, THAT SNOW IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN FOR US. WHAT WE MIGHT SEE IS SOME THUNDER, SOME LIGHTNING WITH THIS AS IT COMES THROUGH. AND THEN ONCE WE GET THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT, CHRISTMAS EVE NIGHT AND INTO FRIDAY MORNING, OUR SKIES CLEAR BUT COLD AIR REALLY COMES SPILLING IN VERY QUICKLY AT THAT POINT SO HERE'S A LOOK AT CHRISTMAS DAY. WE WILL START IN THE UPPER 30s, WE NEVER REALLY DROP BELOW FREEZING ON THURSDAY NIGHT AND THEN FOR FRIDAY FOR CHRISTMAS DAY, ONLY UPPER 40s SO IT'S GOING TO BE REALLY, REALLY CHILLY FOR US. THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS, THIS IS -- I KNOW YOU'RE LOOKING AT THIS SNOWFLAKE. IT'S THE FIRST DAY OF WINTER TODAY AND WE ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT COMING UP MORE IN OUR 9:00 NEWSCAST. WE WILL BE IN THE MID-50s THROUGH WEDNESDAY. A WARM DAY FOR CHRISTMAS EVE, A

Elizabeth Gardner: Why it won't snow this Christmas

Elizabeth Gardner explains why it won't snow this year

The 2019 WRAL Voters' Choice Award winner for "Favorite WRAL Personality," shared some fun facts about herself with us, including that she used to do equestrian jumping.

VCA Spotlight: Elizabeth Gardner shares hidden talents

Hurricane coverage behind scenes

Last week, my family and I left for a vacation near Vancouver, Canada. Over the course of the week we were gone,  our situation in the United States and Canada changed dramatically as you all know.

Elizabeth Gardner: Sudden coronavirus containment measures change family vacation

Vancouver airport security lanes

All of the meteorologists at WRAL want to let you know when snow is in the forecast as soon as possible. But this is tricky.  

Here's why it's difficult to know if it's going to snow or not

Elizabeth Gardner checks conditions on WRAL patio

WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner was in the middle of her forecast when she found a bug on one of the Weather Center's cameras. 

Elizabeth Gardner takes on a giant bug (kind of)

Eight students won the Scripps National Spelling Bee, which means there were eight final challenging words. The WRAL Morning News team tried to spell some of them.

WRAL team tries to spell the winning National Spelling Bee words

WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner found a nice was to cool off before a hot forecast. She got caught by automatic sprinklers in the WRAL Azalea Gardens.

Elizabeth Gardner caught in sprinklers just before live weather report

Elizabeth Gardner

WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner gives us a short, simple look at our area rivers and which communities are most at risk as they continue to rise and crest.

When it comes to rivers, who's at risk for flooding?

The U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute team invited representatives of Capitol Broadcasting to experience a skydive with them.

Elizabeth Gardner, Two Men & A Mom fly with U.S. Army Golden Knights

Skydive with US Army Golden Knights

WRAL was among those invited to jump with the Golden Knights Friday morning to better understand the training, discipline and thrills behind this world-class unit based right in our backyard. 

Into a clear, blue sky: Flying with the Golden Knights parachute team

Elizabeth Gardner prepares for takeoff

Meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner skydived with the U.S. Army's Golden Knights parachute team.

WRAL's Elizabeth Gardner tries skydiving

WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner will jump out of a plane today with the U.S. Army's Golden Knights.

Elizabeth Gardner previews skydive jump today with Golden Knights

Lena Tillett and Elizabeth Gardner didn't know what to think of a green juice they tried while on air Tuesday.

Yuck or yum? Lena and Elizabeth try 'health juice' on TV

Elizabeth Gardner will jump out of an airplane Friday morning with a colleague. See what she had to say in an interview beforehand!