Cary, North Carolina 7 Day Weather Forecast

Wx Forecast - Wx Discussion - Wx Aviation

971
FXUS62 KRAH 130156
AFDRAH

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Raleigh NC
952 PM EDT Mon May 12 2025

.SYNOPSIS...
A slow moving upper low centered over the Tennessee Valley will
slowly lift northeast into the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic states
through Wednesday, bringing wet and unsettled weather to the region.
The low will weaken and move NE of the area by late week with hot
and humid weather to follow.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
As of 952 PM Monday...

Brief lull this evening, additional heavy rainfall later tonight.

Flood Watch continues...

Strong surface to H85 moisture transport of high PW`s 1.5 to 2
inches from the SE continues across our region this evening. There
is currently a lull in the showers over the western and southern
Piedmont, with scattered showers elsewhere. Additional bands of
convection are expected to develop in the next few hours over the
region and spread northward. The latest CAMS suggest that more
numerous showers/isolated thunderstorms will develop over portions
of northern SC and soutern NC by around midnight to 300 AM, then
shift north through much of central NC overnight. The activity is
expected to move into mostly northern and eastern sections of
central NC toward daybreak. Heavy rainfall that trains in some areas
can be expected. The soil is saturated from Wadesboro and Laurinburg
east to Goldsboro where 2-4 inches of rain has occurred already.
Portions of Moore, Lee, Scotland, Richmond and Anson Counties have
had as much as 3-5 inches. Less than an inch in a hour will likely
begin to produce flooding in these areas according to the latest
hourly flash flood guidance. These areas obviously will be the most
vulnerable with other areas becoming more so with time as additional
bands of heavy rain develop. The Triad and Triangle Areas may be the
most likely areas toward daybreak into the late morning Tuesday for
flooding. Expect warm overnight lows in the 60s.

&&

.SHORT TERM /TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT/...
As of 325 PM Monday...

By Tuesday morning, the upper low will be over eastern Tennessee,
and this will drift into southern Ohio over the next 24 hours. The
surface pattern will be complex, but an area of moderate to heavy
rain should be approaching the eastern counties around sunrise.
Meanwhile, there could be a relative lull in showers across western
counties during the morning. A shortwave is expected to rotate
across North Carolina Tuesday afternoon, and this will likely
trigger another round of widespread showers and thunderstorms. Once
the shortwave moves north over Virginia Tuesday evening, the chance
of showers should come down through the nighttime hours.

While skies are going to remain mostly cloudy through the day,
models are in a bit of disagreement as to the potential for strong
to severe storms during the afternoon. Point soundings from the 12Z
NAM show relatively weak shear and minimal instability due to warmer
temperatures between 700-925 mb, while point soundings from the 12Z
GFS show upward of 1000 J/kg and modest unidirectional shear. The
plan view on the 09Z SREF shows the highest probabilities of
instability/shear across southeastern counties. The 12Z HREF also
shows some updraft helicity swaths, indicative of rotating storms,
primarily to the east of US-1. Although the forecast area is not
currently in a SPC convective risk category for Tuesday, cannot rule
out some isolated stronger storms.

In addition, the heavier rainfall across the forecast area should
shift a little bit farther to the east on Tuesday. The current flood
watch for the entire forecast area goes through Tuesday morning, but
have made the decision to expand the watch temporally across the
east through Tuesday night where the rain rates could be higher with
the potential of strong to severe storms.

Tuesday should be a little warmer than today, with highs mostly in
the mid to upper 70s. Lows will generally be in the low to mid 60s.

&&

.LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/...
As of 400 PM Monday...

The mid-level cyclone will weaken further and likely turn into an
open wave over the OH Valley and Upper Great Lakes on Wednesday as
it slowly drifts further north. The attendant trough will move
across central NC late Wednesday, with moisture flux on the east
side still resulting in PW values around 1.5 inches. At the surface,
despite the occluded low and associated fronts moving to our north
by this point, and overall modest forcing for ascent, the
combination of cooling temperatures aloft from the mid-level trough,
decent low-level moisture (surface dew points in the mid-to-upper-
60s), and some breaks of sun could still result in SBCAPE in the
1000-2000 J/kg range. Did cap POPs in the likely range given the
weak large-scale forcing and precipitation being more convective by
this point. The mid-level flow will be weak enough that no organized
severe threat is expected. Forecast highs are mid-70s to lower-80s.
Drier air from NW flow aloft should really begin to move in on
Wednesday night as the mid-level trough finally pushes to our east.
Lows should be in the upper-50s to mid-60s.

Shortwave ridging will then build to our west on Thursday and move
overhead on Thursday night, with associated height rises. Model
soundings indicate this will bring a decent capping inversion that
should limit convective development, but still can`t rule out a few
isolated showers/storms as good surface heating and continued low-
level moisture will result in weak to moderate destabilization once
again. For now only have slight to low chance POPs (highest east).
High temperatures will turn above average, in the mid-to-upper-80s.
Lows Thursday night will only drop into the mid-to-upper-60s.

The first part of Friday could be dry as well as we are still under
the influence of the shortwave ridging pushing to our east, but by
late Friday and Saturday, we will experience some weak mid-level
height falls from the next closed low that moves east across the
Upper Great Lakes. A surface trough will also be in place across our
region. So precipitation chances should increase, and isolated to
scattered convection will be possible. Given strong destabilization
of 2000-3000+ J/kg of CAPE shown on both the ECMWF and GFS, along
with 40-50 kts of bulk shear, strong to severe storms will be
possible. Temperatures will also be a concern, with highs in the
upper-80s to mid-90s on Friday and Saturday. Dew points will rise to
the upper-60s and possibly lower-70s both days, so heat indices will
be a concern, especially on Friday when they are forecast to reach
the mid-90s to 100 from the Triangle to the south and east.

A cold front looks to move through the region on Saturday night,
though there is still some uncertainty on its timing and placement.
Looking aloft, the flow will turn more northwesterly as the mid-
level cyclone pushes farther east and ridging builds over the
Central US. For now expect a drying trend with only slight chance
POPs on Sunday and Monday. The best chance of any convection would
be in the south depending on where the front gets hung up. Forecast
highs decrease closer to normal both days.

&&

.AVIATION /00Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/...
As of 741 PM Monday...

MVFR to IFR conditions will continue over the next 24 hours as
additional rounds of showers, locally heavy moves across central NC.
Brief drops to LIFR will be possible at any terminal with any
heavier downpour. As we pivot to the overnight period, expect
ceilings to generally trend to the IFR/LIFR range as additional
showers/isolated storms move across the area.

A brief lift to MVFR appears likely Tuesday afternoon (with KFAY
possibly going VFR early Tuesday afternoon). However, additional
showers and storms will be possible through Wednesday morning
(highest chances for storms would be at KFAY/KRWI and maybe KRDU
from late Tuesday morning through the evening hours).

After 00Z Wednesday: Diurnally driven showers and thunderstorms will
continue Wednesday through late week. Early morning stratus and/or
fog (IFR to LIFR) will be likely.

&&

.RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Flood Watch through Tuesday morning for NCZ007>011-024>028-
041>043-078-089.
Flood Watch through Tuesday morning for NCZ021>023-038>040-
073>077-083>086-088.

&&

$$
SYNOPSIS...Badgett
NEAR TERM...Badgett
SHORT TERM...Green
LONG TERM...Danco
AVIATION...Badgett