RALEIGH, NC — An upper-level area of low pressure is forcing a front through central North Carolina Sunday, bringing afternoon showers and storms with the potential for heavy downpours and localized flooding. Forecasters say where it rains, it is expected to pour, though a severe weather outbreak is not anticipated.
Level 1 Risk Shifted West of Wake County
While one or two storms could become strong, the Level 1 risk has been trimmed back to areas west of Wake County, reducing the overall severe threat for the Raleigh metro area. The worst-case scenario includes localized straight-line wind damage, though widespread severe impacts are not expected Sunday afternoon.
Communities across the region, including Durham, Sanford, Fayetteville, and Goldsboro, are forecast to see afternoon and evening storms with high temperatures reaching the upper 80s, running slightly below seasonal averages for early August.
Daily Storm Pattern Expected to Repeat
Forecasters say this setup is part of a pattern expected to repeat daily as the upper-level low weakens and drifts north through the Appalachians. High temperatures will stay a touch below average in the mid to upper 80s, though humidity will keep conditions feeling muggy throughout the region.
Hour-by-hour rain chances show probabilities climbing from 30 percent in the early afternoon to 50 percent by the evening hours, reflecting the scattered but potentially heavy nature of the tropical-style downpours expected.
Rain Totals Expected to Vary Widely This Week
The scattered nature of these downpours means rainfall totals will not be uniform across the region. Some areas could pick up more than an inch or two of rain this week, while others may see only a fraction of that amount, with storm coverage expected to lessen slightly by Friday and Saturday…