Wind gusts up to 40 mph reported overnight across the Triangle

By WRAL Severe Weather Center

Raleigh, N.C. — Central North Carolina was under a Level 1 risk for severe weather Friday night. Showers from a passing cold front were moving out on Saturday morning.

Overnight, strong wind gusts were reported, WRAL meteorologist Aimee Wilmoth said. Goldsboro saw wind gusts as strong as 44 mph per hour early Saturday morning.

Some damage was reported from the wind in Johnston County early in the morning. A strong gust of wind sent a tall pine tree falling onto a parked Ford Mustang across Elevation Road in Benson. A driver on the road slammed his pick-up truck into the tree, which was partially blocking the road. The driver blew out at least two tires then fled the scene of the crash. Officials were unable to locate the driver.

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A line of showers and thunderstorms was reported overnight. No warnings were issued overnight, Wilmoth said, and less than an inch of rain fell.

Saturday will be a sunny, breezy cool day with highs in the mid 50s. Wind gusts will continue throughout the day, Wilmoth said.

A new area of low pressure will develop over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico on Saturday, moving east and northeast to deliver some precipitation to North Carolina on Sunday night and Monday.

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"This will be rain for most, if not the entire, event and, according to some models, may be no precipitation at all," WRAL meteorologist Mike Maze said. "This weekend, we will get a better idea of what may happen Monday."

Right now, the American Model shows no precipitation here Monday, while the European Model has some light rain and perhaps ending as some rain mixed with some ice pellets Monday evening and night, he said.

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There is a chance central North Carolina could see some wintry precipitation early next week.

WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner said it's too early to know if the wintry mix will resemble snow, but computer models are beginning to hint at some wintry precipitation on Monday night.