Finally! Weather forecast calls for plenty of sunshine, warmer days

WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner said Friday's chilly start from the overnight will give way to a mostly sunny, dry day.

"All the rain from this week has moved out," she said. "It's all over and there's no rain on the radar."

The high Friday is expected to top out in the low 50s before the mercury drops to the mid-30s overnight, Gardner said.

She said a nice weekend is on the way with a high temperature on Saturday that will reach the low 60s.

"It will be so wonderful to get a break from the nasty weather we've had," she said.

There will be several dry days with highs in the upper 50s to low 60s, but overnight will seel below normal temperatures with readings in the 30s, Gardner said.

This year is shaping up to the Raleigh's second wettest on record. According to stats, 53.3 inches of rainfall has been reported for the region, which is about 10 inches more than our yearly normal figure for precipitation.

While it will be nice and dry in central North Carolina, other regions aren't so lucky.

Wintry weather impacting states as far south as Alabama stretched into New York City, where a coat of snow covered streets and sidewalks and made the evening commute home treacherous.

The weather left roads from the Mississippi River east filled with rush hour traffic Thursday, and has contributed to at least seven deadly traffic deaths.

Two of those deaths came from an overturned bus in Mississippi, three happened in Arkansas due to icy conditions and one each occurred in Ohio and Indiana.