The haze blanketing the east coast isn't over yet. How long it lingers in our area, plus our next chance for rain

 

On WRAL at 11 : The Canadian wildfire smoke blanketing our area isn't over yet. How long it lingers. Plus our next chance for rain & storms

When looking at developing systems, one of the most important pieces of technology that we have are the spaghetti model plots. Aptly named for their unique pasta-like appearance, these charts depict many different outcomes or simulations for a given storm. Billions of computer calculations are run with different potential atmospheric conditions (i.e., temperature, cloud cover, winds, etc.). The result is shown to be the individual strand, often represented by separate colors. There are many potential outcomes, and no model is 100% accurate. 

WRAL Weather lesson: Many models for tracking storms look like spaghetti, combine to improve forecast

Track and model plots

In the wake of tragic and traumatic events, feelings like stress, anxiety, grief and depression are natural. Here is a list of crisis counseling and county-by-county resources in North Carolina, as well as nationally. These resources are available for you -- just call. 

Get Help: County-by-county guide to mental health and crisis resources in NC

 Mental health graphic

Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page planned a parachute jump Monday to benefit Special Olympics. 

<b>ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, N.C.</b> — Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page planned a parachute jump Monday to benefit Special Olympics. <br />

Page will join members of the All Veterans Parachute team, and tandem jump with the same team member who guided a jump for former President George H.W. Bush a few months ago for his 90th birthday.

Page got local businesses to ante up $2,500 for Special Olympics of North Carolina to sponsor his jump. 

Rockingham sheriff parachutes for Special Olympics

Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page

Four people were killed Wednesday and one person was hospitalized after a head-on crash on N.C. Highway 690 in Moore County

4 people killed, 3 identified in head-on crash on Moore County highway 

Four people killed in Moore County crash

Farmer Brooks Barnes says he had a burn permit and blames drivers braking too fast for a pileup on I-795 that involved two dozen vehicles.

Farmer defends decision to burn fields before pileup crash near I-795

Tractor in field, farming

Darryl Williams' cause of death is listed as a "sudden cardiac arrest in the setting of cocaine intoxication, physical exertion, conducted energy weapon use and physical restraint," the autopsy states.

Cardiac arrest, cocaine intoxication and Taser use: Autopsy outlines Darryl Williams' deadly encounter with Raleigh police

On Tuesday, the man's mother, Sonya Williams, said her son Darryl Williams was the man who died. He was 32 and lived in Raleigh.

The NC Division of Air Quality has replaced the code red with a code orange air quality alert.


Mostly sunny Thursday with temperatures in the 80s, still under code orange air quality

Air Quality alert for Wednesday and Thursday 

Economists believe grocery inflation should continue improving, but expect it to remain above pre-pandemic levels for the duration of the year.

Expect your grocery bill to go down, economists forecast - but not to what it was before COVID

Get the latest WRAL WeatherCenter Forecast whenever you need it, including the DUALDoppler5000 and the 7-Day Forecast.

WRAL WeatherCenter Forecast

Nightly N.C. Education Lottery drawings during the 11 p.m. News.

Evening Pick 3 Pick 4 and Cash 5

Daytime Pick 3 and Pick 4 drawings are held at 3 p.m. daily. They can be seen as live or on-demand video.

Daytime Pick 3 and Pick 4 Drawing

The bill would allow betting on professional, college and other sports on phones or other electronic devices.

NC lawmakers take final vote to legalize online sports gambling

Kilauea, the second largest volcano in Hawaii, began erupting on Wednesday after a three-month pause, U.S. Geological Survey officials said.

Kilauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes, is erupting

Videos

The N.C. Baseball Coaches Association has released its all-state teams for the 2023 season.

N.C. Baseball Coaches Association releases all-state teams

Baseball: South Brunswick vs Hoggard (Mar. 21, 2023)

Train tracks at street level throughout downtown Durham create problems that range from traffic snarls to deadly crashes. 

Durham to study how to improve train crossings, ease traffic jams

Tow truck at railroad crossing

High school students in North Carolina could soon get an education about the cost of a four-year college degree, as well as more information about vocational and technical programs. That proposal passed a key committee Wednesday.

Cost of college could soon be a 10th-grade topic in North Carolina

Salvador Vazquez has been indicted for two counts of second-degree forcible sexual offense and one count of first-degree kidnapping.