Live: Winds hitting 40+ mph with storms moving in

The threat of high winds from severe thunderstorms and the chance for tornadoes prompted Moore County to cancel after-school activities for Friday.

Posted 3:03 p.m. Jan 12 — Updated 2:37 a.m. Jan 13

WRAL Severe Weather Center

RALEIGH, N.C. —

What to know about Friday's storms:

Storms will be scattered to isolated, with the greatest risk coming between 5 and 8 p.m. in the Triangle.
Wind advisory in effect at 4 p.m. Gusts could reach 45 mph.
Rain chances ramp up after 4 p.m. Total rainfall likely less than 1 inch.

9:35 p.m.: A severe thunderstorm warning was issued for Cumberland, Johnston, Harnett and Sampson counties.

9:30 p.m.: Wind speeds are picking up. Around 9 p.m., 43 mph winds were recorded near Mount Olive and there were 41 mph winds in Fayetteville.

9 p.m.: Nash County, Edgecombe County and Halifax County are all under a flood warning until Saturday at 7 p.m.

6:30 p.m.: A fallen tree on Spring Lane in Sanford. The tree took out power lines, cutting power for nearby homes.

Some in Sanford are without power Friday night after a tree fell onto power lines.

6 p.m.: "The DualDoppler 5000 radar is showing a little bit of lightning with this storm that's headed toward RTP," said WRAL meteorologist Kat Campbell. "There's pretty widespread rain through the Triangle."

5 p.m.: Rain is starting to move into the area and pockets of heavier rain are moving to the east. No severe weather yet, but the rain is impacting the evening drive home.

"The rain is pushing into the Triangle just in time for the evening commute," said Campbell. "The rain that's moving through Sanford is heading to Raleigh next."

3 p.m.: As of Friday afternoon, the entire area is now under a Level 1 risk for severe weather, a downgrade from earlier in the day when a Level 2 risk covered some of our area.

12:50 p.m.: Warren County high school basketball games against Wilson Prep scheduled for Friday night are postponed until Feb. 8 due to the threat of severe weather.

12:30 p.m.: So far, 17 flights into or out of Raleigh-Durham International Aiport have been canceled on Friday. There are more than 1850 flight cancelations nationwide Friday morning. The storm system expected to bring rain in the Triangle brought snow to the Midwest.

Noon: Rain is moving into the mountains of North Carolina. Showers and thunderstorms are expected across central North Carolina beginning around 4 p.m.

10 a.m.: The threat of high winds from severe thunderstorms and the chance for tornadoes prompted Moore County to cancel after-school activities for Friday.

Schools closed for weather: How do NC districts make the decision?

Friday is a WRAL Weather Alert Day because of the storm risk across central North Carolina. The worst of the threat comes in the evening, according to the WRAL Severe Weather Center.

"The timeline of this is pretty late in the day," said WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner. "We're not likely to see much rain until closer to 5 or 6 p.m."

A wind advisory has been issued for much of central N.C., including the Triangle, starting at around 4 p.m., and winds could reach 40 to 45 mph, making it feel even cooler than expected.

Rain totals will be between 0.25 and 0.5 inches, so be sure to pack an umbrella if you're heading out.

The strong winds bring potential for fallen trees and power outages. Trees weakened during the heavy rain and wind earlier this week are at higher risk of falling during today's round of storms.

Photos: Storm damage from Tuesday's WRAL Weather Alert Day

Jeff Brooks, spokesman for Duke Energy, told WRAL News that trees that may have been damaged earlier this week and didn’t fall, could be dealt a final blow by Friday's storms and finally fall over.

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