Say goodbye to summer

The 80-degree days central North Carolina enjoyed this week have given way to a rainy Friday and a chilly weekend.

A cold front moving across the state Friday was expected to cause temperatures to steadily drop into the mid-50s across the Triangle and the low 60s around Fayetteville, WRAL meteorologist Nate Johnson said. The high temperature in Raleigh was 70 degrees – between 6 and 7 a.m.

Rain was expected to continue throughout most of the day and early Saturday before the skies clear for the second half of the weekend, Johnson said.

Highs on Saturday should reach the upper 50s, while sunny skies on Sunday and Monday should bring milder temperatures, he said.

"We'll be lucky to get back into the 70s one day next week," he said. "Fall is here, and it seems to be here to stay."