Highs soar past 80 degrees Monday, mid-week rain on tap
Temperatures this week will be above normal with a few chances for showers and storms.
Monday started mild, with lows in the 60s. It's T-shirt and shorts weather, because highs will reach 85 degrees on Monday.
Tuesday will be even hotter, with a high of 88 and some rain possible in the evening.
- Monday: Sunny skies. Very warm. High 85.
- Tuesday: Partly cloudy. Very warm. High 88.
- Wednesday: A chance for showers during the day. High 84.
High heat possible to start the week
The end of April and beginning of May will be hot, but it doesn't appear we will reach 90-degree heat this week.
"I don't have us forecast to hit 90 [degrees] this week, but it certainly could still be possible," WRAL meteorologist Anthony Baglione said.
Temperatures will stay in the 80s for most of the week. It'll be a great week to get outside! Our only potential rain chances would be Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, according to WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner.
"Tuesday a front will approach from the west," Gardner said. "Clouds will increase in the afternoon. We will see a few isolated showers during the evening commute, just a 30% chance."
On Wednesday, there will be increasing clouds with scattered showers and storms in the afternoon.
Thursday and Friday will be the clearest days of the week.
According to Gardner, we will see more showers and storms over the weekend, with a 30% chance for storms Saturday and Sunday.
With all this warm weather, the flowers and trees are blooming – meaning pollen counts are high. If you're sneezing, spring allergies could be to blame.
7-day forecast for central NC
- Monday: Clear skies and warmer. High of 85.
- Tuesday: Sunshine and some clouds. High 88.
- Wednesday: A chance for showers during the day. High 84.
- Thursday: Sunshine and clouds mixed. High 85.
- Friday: Partly cloudy skies. High 86.
- Saturday: Isolated showers and storms possible with highs in the low to mid 80s.
- Sunday: 40% chance for rain and storms, high of 82.
Prepare for a busy 2024 Atlantic hurricane season
The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season will see 15 to 20 named storms in the Atlantic basin, according to researchers at North Carolina State University.
The number of named storms is significantly higher than the long-term average and moderately higher than recent 30-year averages, according to Lian Xie, professor of marine, earth and atmospheric sciences at NC State.
In 2024, NC State researchers predict:
- 15-20 named storms
- 10 to 12 may grow strong enough to become hurricanes (the historical average is six)
- Three to four becoming major hurricanes
Meanwhile, forecasters at Colorado State University are calling for 24 named storms in the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. That is higher than the average year, when 14 storms earn a name.
CSU forecasters say 11 storms will reach hurricane strength, up from the average of seven, and five of those hurricanes could be "major," that is Category 3, 4 or 5, with winds over 111 mph.
