Flooding risk for Triangle heading into wet, windy holiday weekend

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — A coastal storm will start to take shape over the next several days, ensuring that the holiday weekend will be wet across the area when it comes to weather.

Friday will be the first of the stormier days as steady rain makes its way inland starting in the afternoon. Winds should also pick up during this time. Gusts may approach 40 mph at the coast but it is not out of the question for gusts to even touch 30 mph within the Triangle.

Rain and strong winds will move farther inland overnight Friday and the entire southeastern half or so of the Triangle could be getting rain by Saturday morning.

The focus for heavy rain on Saturday may end up riding along the South Carolina border but this is obviously quite dependent on the track. Modeling does generally agree that our southern zones are the most likely spot for the highest rainfall totals but much of the area could experience downpours.

Expect a general 1-3″ of rain through Sunday south of a line from Raleigh northwestward through west-central Caswell County and eastward from Raleigh to the coast. North of that line, rainfall should total 1-2″.

Saturday appears likely to be the worst day of the rain and wind this weekend.

Our western zones stand a chance of heavy rain continuing into Sunday depending on the placement and intensity of the low by then.

Temperatures will rise a couple to several few degrees each day starting Sunday, getting back to the historical average in the mid-80s.