Weekend forecast: Will rain and storms affect your Mother’s Day plans in Raleigh?
The story was updated Sunday, May 11, 2025.
Weather-wise, Mother’s Day in Raleigh and the Triangle will be a partly cloudy break between the downpours that came at the end of this week and the ones coming next week.
Heavier rain is expected to move in Monday, with two to four inches of rain possible through Tuesday morning. The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch for most of central North Carolina starting Sunday night.
The wet, relatively cool weather is thanks to a cold front expected to move across North Carolina Friday evening, May 9, followed by two areas of high pressure coming from the Midwest over the weekend and a low-pressure system moving into the state next week.
Here’s the forecast.
Will Raleigh get rain for Mother’s Day?
Showers are possible Sunday afternoon in Raleigh, according to the AccuWeather forecast. In between, the National Weather Service suggests there will be a rain-free window to visit with Mom and get seated at her favorite restaurant for lunch.
The high on Sunday is expected to be around 69 degrees, about 9 degrees cooler than average for the date.
Heavy rain will start the week
The chance of rain increases beginning Sunday night, with two to four inches of rainfall possible by Monday night in parts of central North Carolina. The heaviest rainfall is likely to be south of Raleigh, the Weather Service says.
Showers and thunderstorms are likely again Tuesday through Wednesday night, with the heaviest rainfall shifting to the east of Raleigh.
Rain could be heavy enough Monday and Tuesday to cause flash flooding in low-lying and urban areas, forecasters say.
Sunday’s forecast showed more rain on Wednesday, and a slight chance on Thursday, but not as heavy as the first two days of the week.
The sun should return by Thursday with a high of nearly 86 degrees.
Will this be enough rain to end North Carolina’s drought?
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center’s forecast shows drought persisting in parts of North Carolina through May, but improving this summer.
By July 31, the Climate Prediction Center says, the parts of the state that are now abnormally dry or in drought should be back to normal.
That’s because North Carolina is expected to see above-normal amounts of rain through the period.
This story was originally published May 9, 2025 at 3:06 PM.
