Saturday Afternoon Update

After checking new model data and listening in to a conference call with the Raleigh National Weather Service, I thought I would share a few updated thoughts on the weather through the rest of the weekend...

- Rain showers and drizzle can be expected to continue tonight. As of 2pm, RDU reported 0.43" of rain since yesterday. 0.73" at Fayetteville and 0.29" at Wilmington.

- Look for rain showers tomorrow morning and early afternoon. At times, the rain may be mixed with sleet especially in the afternoon.

- Some snow showers are possible Sunday afternoon in the Triangle, but look for a changeover to all snow by late Sunday night across the Triangle and Sandhills.

- With warm ground temperatures, snow accumulations Sunday night into Monday morning will all depend on the rate of snowfall. If we see mainly light snow, look for little accumulation as the light snow would melt when hitting the warm ground. A moderate to heavy snowfall rate would cause the ground to cool faster allowing for accumulation.

- Based on the latest data, I would think 1-4" of snow are possible in the Triangle with lesser amounts east of Raleigh and higher amounts west of Raleigh.

- Heavier accumulations are expected between Charlotte and Greensboro and points to the west toward the mountains. 4-7" are possible in this area with a band of heavier snow still possible.

- The above snow accumulation forecasts are based on the expected track of low pressure. If it were to track to the west, the Triangle would see less snow. A more easterly track would bring higher totals to the Triangle.

- Snow showers should taper off pretty quickly between daybreak and mid-morning.

- The NC coast may see a few scattered snow showers or flurries early Monday morning, but no accumulation is expected.

- Don't look for much pre-treatment of area roadways by the DOT. The brine solution that is sometimes used for pre-treatment depends on dry roadway before snow starts to fall. While I'm not an expert in road treatment, since we should see rain right up to the changeover to snow, I would expect the DOT will use other methods to keep our roads clear in NC.

- It should be quite breezy Sunday afternoon through Monday with winds at 15 to 25mph. Higher gusts will be possible. Wind chills should be in the teens into Monday.

Stay tuned to News 14 Carolina for the latest in our Weather on the Ones updates.