A mostly wet weekend with thunderstorms possible(?) Sunday

The wintry precipitation accumulations earlier this week were relatively light in Mecklenburg county. This summary graphic from NWS Wakefield shows the heavier amounts remaining well north of the local area:

The cold front which crossed the county Thursday afternoon swept out the clouds and moisture, leaving behind a chilly air mass. Thus today, Valentine's Day (Friday), began with temperatures in the upper 20s, with the forecast for afternoon highs only in the mid-40s even under full sunshine. That's almost ten degrees below average for the date.

Unfortunately the clear and dry conditions won't continue into the weekend. The next in a series of fast moving storm systems arrives Saturday, bringing rain - yes, liquid rain - after lunch. After another cold dawn with temperatures sagging into the upper 20s local thermometers will top out only in the low 40s tomorrow under damp and cloudy skies. 

Sunday will continue the wet trend while temperatures warm into the low 60s just ahead of the next cold front. Given the moisture in place and the dynamics of this weather system there could be some thunderstorms late Sunday morning into the noon hour. There is even a small chance of severe(!) storms along and east of I-85. As the boundary nears and passes through winds could be rather raucous, gusting to near 30 mph as they swap around from the southwest to blowing out of the west.

Rain totals this weekend look to be in the 1-1.5 inch range. No local stream gauges reached flood stage this week even given all the precipitation, but localized flooding could occur this weekend. Stay alert to rising water levels, and watch for ponding on roads and highways.

Oh, and happy Valentine's Day!