ASHEBORO N.C. – The National Weather Service office in Raleigh issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook for central North Carolina this morning. Forecasters are saying a powerful storm system will bring the chance of severe thunderstorms tonight and again early Saturday before cold air pours in behind the storms on Sunday with wind chill readings expected to drop into the teens Saturday night into
early Sunday morning.
The strongest of these storms will be Saturday morning with meteorologist saying that localized downed trees and power lines, isolated structural damage, quarter-size hail, deadly cloud-to-ground lighting, Flash Flooding, and isolated tornadoes all possible. Also a possibility, that rain may briefly change to snow late Saturday morning and during the afternoon, before ending, mainly north of the Hwy 64 corridor. Little or no snow accumulation or impacts are expected.
Following the storms cold air is expected to rush in and create a late-season deep freeze and frigid wind chill. plants outside overnight may be effected.
Forecast
Tonight – A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 2am. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 40. Southeast wind 3 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.
Saturday – Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 11am, then a slight chance of showers between 11am and 1pm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Temperature falling to around 34 by 5pm. Breezy, with a northwest wind 13 to 22 mph, with gusts as high as 37 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Saturday Night – Mostly clear, with a low around 18. Northwest wind 6 to 11 mph becoming light after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 32 mph.
Sunday – Sunny, with a high near 50. Light west wind becoming southwest 5 to 10 mph in the morning.
Sunday Night – Mostly clear, with a low around 29.