Updated forecast: A hard cold snap could bring snow to central NC next week. The latest
Note: Find an updated weather forecast here.
Predicting whether central and Eastern North Carolina will get snow next week seemed to test the patience of the National Weather Service on Thursday, whose meteorologists sounded like they had been trying to herd cats.
“Every model cycle ... seems to show a different solution,” a forecaster wrote, because three different storm systems will be in play next week, and how and when each one tracks will affect how they interact with each other.
A strong cold front still is headed for the state this weekend that will bring some of the chilliest temperatures of the season, along with at least two at least two opportunities next week for snow or other wintry precipitation in or near Raleigh and the Triangle.
How cold will it be?
It’s expected to rain across much of central North Carolina early Saturday into Saturday afternoon ahead of a front coming from the Great Plains. Forecasters say the cold front will arrive by Sunday night, bringing noticeably colder temperatures on Monday through Wednesday.
The National Weather Service offers these temperature ranges:
Sunday night: A low of 22 degrees
Monday: A high of 31 degrees and a low of 14 degrees
Tuesday: A high of 28 degrees, compared to an average high of around 51 degrees for this time of year. Tuesday night into Wednesday the low will drop to 13 degrees.
Wednesday: Still cold, high of 28 degrees.
When is the next chance of snow?
As of Thursday, Jan. 16, Weather Service forecasts for central and Eastern North Carolina show two opportunities “for precipitation other than rain,” meteorologists’ way of saying it could be snow but don’t get too excited, it might be our old nemeses sleet or freezing rain.
The first chance is Sunday, when a mix of rain and snow could fall along and north of the Interstate 85 corridor in the afternoon, and Sunday evening, when there is a slight chance of snow from Raleigh to the east. In either scenario, accumulation would be unlikely.
The second chance, the Weather Service says, will be Tuesday through Wednesday, when the colder air from the west likely would turn any precipitation that comes in from the south into snow.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Weather Prediction Center forecast map shows up to a 30% chance of at least a quarter-inch of liquid equivalent in snow and sleet across all of North Carolina Tuesday into Wednesday, with a section of the southeastern Coastal Plain showing up to a 50% chance. That includes an area from Fayetteville to Wilmington.
A quarter-inch of liquid that falls as all snow would be about 2.5 inches on the ground.
The Accuweather forecast also predicts a chance of sleet and freezing rain next Friday and Saturday, which are outside the range of the National Weather Service’s seven-day forecast.
Some models show a chance of snow across central and Eastern N.C. on Thursday and Friday of next week.
When will we know?
As always, forecasters say that for central and Eastern North Carolina to get snow or any other winter precipitation we need the combination of cold air and moisture, which typically come from different places.
The cold air is coming from the plains; the question is whether a low-pressure system will develop in the Gulf of Mexico as some models predict and move into the Southeastern U.S., bringing the moisture.
It will likely be a few days before we know. Stay tuned.
This story was originally published January 15, 2025 at 12:12 PM.
