Tornadoes, strong winds & hail possible in the Triangle. When will severe weather hit?
Tornadoes, damaging winds and large hail are possible Monday, March 31, as a severe storm system is expected to move through central North Carolina, forecasters say.
Storms could reach the Triangle around 7 p.m. and could continue until after 11 p.m., according to the National Weather Service in Raleigh. The greatest risk of severe storms in the Triangle is from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., forecasters said, with two lines of storms moving through.
The NWS declared a level 3 out of 5 “Enhanced Risk” of severe storms in the Triangle. A severe thunderstorm watch went into effect at 4 p.m. Monday for much of central and Eastern North Carolina, set to expire at 10 p.m.. The system will be over the Interstate 95 corridor from about 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., according to forecasts.
The storm is part of a larger system that moved through Midwest and South over the weekend, producing multiple tornadoes and tornado warnings, according to CNN.
The storms should move out of the state by 2 a.m. and skies are expected to clear overnight. Wind gusts of up to 25 mph still are possible overnight.
Storm brings risk of tornadoes, straight-line winds, large hail
With the storm, the NWS said there is the potential for damaging straight-line winds, isolated tornadoes and large hail.
Raleigh and Durham are expected to see up to a half-inch of rain. Widespread flash-flooding is not expected, but there could be isolated patches in low-lying and urban areas, the NWS said. Wind gusts across the region could be up to 28 mph, forecasts say.
All of Central North Carolina, a region spanning from Winston-Salem to Goldsboro, will see a “slight” risk of tornadoes, with the NWS projecting a 5 to 9 percent probability of a tornado Monday. The NWS said the highest chance of tornadoes is in the western Piedmont and Sandhills.
This story was originally published March 30, 2025 at 2:01 PM.
