Rain arrives late Friday for another split weekend forecast

The 2024 pattern of a damp Saturday followed by a dry Sunday continues this weekend for Mecklenburg county. This time, however, the rain will be beneficial in aiding firefighters across the state who have been battling wildfires to the point of exhaustion. Extremely dry air coupled with gusty winds created conditions ripe for rapid fire spread the past several days.

Today - Friday - will feature increasing clouds as a storm system approaches from the southwest. After morning lows in the mid-30s around the county afternoon temperatures look to top out near the 60 degree mark. Showers will enter the county around 5:00 o'clock as most folks finish up the work day.

Rainfall intensity will pick up tonight, with up to three-quarters of an inch collecting in county gauges by dawn Saturday. A few rumbles of thunder are also possible. A surface low pressure center will be nearly overhead Mecklenburg at 12Z (8:00 a.m.) Saturday as shown on this forecast graphic:

That low is being steered by the subtropical jet stream and will continue up the East Coast tomorrow, merging with the northern low pressure (being steered by the polar jet stream) over the New England states. The resulting conditions for Mecklenburg county on Saturday look very wet, with an additional inch or so of rainfall expected. Afternoon temperatures will climb to the low 60s under cloudy skies.

Saturday night the skies will gradually clear while northerly winds will become rather vigorous. Gusts over 30 mph will rattle windows and shake tree limbs as cooler air rushes in behind the storm system. By sunrise on Palm Sunday temperatures will drop to near freezing. As the day progresses skies will be sunny but the brisk north winds will continue, gusting over 25 mph. That will make the afternoon high temperatures in the mid-50s feel a bit cooler than they otherwise would.