Wind and rain could make holiday travel difficult Friday, but the wet weather will also bring warmer temperatures.
This weekend could break the record for wettest year; the record stands at 59.14 inches in 1996, but so far there’s been 58.52 inches of precipitation in 2018.
WRAL Chief Meteorologist Greg Fishel said spotty showers could begin Thursday afternoon and the rain will increase in intensity after midnight.
“Fortunately, the worst part of this system, the really vigorous part, is going to bypass us to the north and west,” he said. “Still, the system is going to impact us.”
The system has the potential to pour 1.5 to 2 inches on the Triangle and at least a half-inch across the rest of the state.
The good news is that the rain will also bring a little relief from winter, as temperatures on Friday rise to 69 degrees in Raleigh on Friday.
“We’re going to be windy and warm and up near 70 and it’s not going to feel like winter,” Fishel said.
Rain showers on Saturday will be limited before rain continues on Sunday.
“Saturday now looks dry for most of the area, even though we’ll have a fair amount of cloud cover,” Fishel said.
That moisture is expected to stick around early next week, bringing a rainy start to the new year.