Cold Rain or a Wintry Mix?

Will it be just a cold rain or could we have another round of winter precipitation? That is the question we've been asking over the last couple of days when it comes to Sunday's forecast. Here in the Weather on the Ones Forecast Center, we've spent hours staring at computer screens, pouring over the latest weather data, and discussing the possibility of the winter weather. Most of the data points toward the idea that this will not be a big deal for the Triangle, and there could be a few spotty problems toward the Triad.

Cold and very dry air is settling in over North Carolina Saturday night. A storm system will begin to spread clouds our way toward the early morning hours on Sunday. As moisture streams our way, we'll eventually see precipitation begin to fall in the state. Initially, as the precipitation falls, it will evaporate because of the very dry air now in place over the region. The evaporation will cool the surrounding air dropping temperatures to the low to mid 30s as the precipitation moves in.

Much of our region will be on the borderline between just a cold rain and a wintry mix. For locations south of Raleigh, look for just a cold rain beginning Sunday evening. North and west of Raleigh, the rain could be mixed with sleet at times. In the Triad, we expect to see a rain/sleet mix along with periods of freezing rain.

At this point, we only look for a light glazing on elevated surfaces like powerlines, trees, and possible bridges in the locations that experience some sleet or freezing rain. There should not be enough accumulation to create any widespread problems.

We continue to follow the very latest data coming into the forecast center. We'll be here to provide you up to the minute information with Weather on the Ones.

When the precipitation begins to fall Sunday, you can let us know the weather from your neighborhood by e-mailing your weather report to weather@news14.com