Triple-digit temps expected in Triangle this week. Will it impact the parade?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- The Triangle could see triple-digit temperatures again Thursday with highs near 100.
- The cold front may bring isolated storms with damaging winds of 60 mph or greater.
- Saturday parade in downtown Raleigh is forecasted to have low-to-mid 80s and dry weather.
Temperatures could reach triple digits in the Triangle, the second time in a week.
Parts of the Triangle, including in Raleigh and Durham, could see a forecasted high of 100 degrees with a heat index of 105 degrees on Thursday, June 18, according to the National Weather Service.
“We are going to see temperatures topping out in the upper 90s to near 100, and it looks like the humidity won’t be too bad, but once you get a certain point with these temperatures, especially if you’re out in the sunlight, it can bring about some heat illnesses,” said Gail Hartfield, meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
Last week, temperatures broke records by reaching 103 degrees at the Raleigh-Durham International Airport on Friday, June 12.
What’s the weather forecast for the Carolina Hurricanes parade?
The parade and celebration for the Carolina Hurricanes after winning the Stanley Cup is set for 11 a.m. Saturday, June 20, in downtown Raleigh. Details about the rally, parade route and parking can be found online at newsobserver.com.
The temperatures are forecasted to be in the low-to-mid 80s with near-normal temperatures and dry weather on Saturday, Hartfield said.
“On Saturday it’s not going to be that bad, but invariably you always have somebody who’s been out in the heat too long, especially if they’re maybe enjoying an adult beverage, they might succumb to heat illnesses,” she said. “So we are advising people to take it easy out there and enjoy yourself, but it looks like it’ll be a fairly nice day.”
Potential storms and Tropical Storm Arthur
A cold front will move in Thursday evening, cutting off the heat, and bringing the potential for isolated storms in the Triangle.
“Most of the strongest storms are going to be to our north, across Virginia,” she said. “That’s where the greatest threat is going to be, but we could definitely see a few strong storms in our area. The main threat is going to be damaging straight-line winds of 60 miles per hour or greater.”
Those isolated storms aren’t related to Tropical Storm Arthur off the Gulf of Mexico that will bring life-threatening flooding to parts of Texas before weakening, moving northeast.
“From that point on it is just going to be a rainmaker,” Hartfield said. “It’s going to be a nasty rainmaker for southeast Texas, Louisiana and into Mississippi. I don’t want to downplay that for them, because it will be a significant rain for them. For us, it looks like it’s going to mostly be skirting by our south. It may clip southeastern North Carolina, so if you’re at the beach in the south, southeast coast of North Carolina, it may be a little bit wet, but overall, the rainfall will be south of the Triangle. That’s too bad because we are in a drought, and we could use the rainfall at this point.”
