North Carolina Weather 3/8 Midday - 30° Above Normal

Good afternoon. North Carolina. I'm Aaron Jolly. Step outside right now and you're greeted by 70 degrees and air thick enough to drink. Overnight only dipped to 66. That's spring showing up early to the party. But here's the catch. Scattered thunderstorms are firing up this afternoon as a weak cold front slides through. All this moisture in the air? Perfect fuel. Storms develop across the Piedmont and Triangle between noon and early evening. The I-30 corridor takes the highest risk. Some storms could pack gusty winds and brief hail. Nothing catastrophic, but enough to ruin an outdoor lunch. Western North Carolina sees the earliest action. Rain showers kick off around 11 A.M., then thunderstorms roll through by early afternoon. Highs reach the upper 60s in the mountains. Down in the Piedmont, you hit 77 degrees before storms arrive around 2 P.M. The Triangle stays cloudy through midday, then storms develop between 1 P.M. and midnight. Expect a high near 78. Tonight, storms fade. Patchy fog creeps across the mountains. Lows settle near 50 out west, upper 50s across the Piedmont and Triangle. Monday brings fog early, then mostly sunny skies. Highs climb to the mid-to-upper 70s. Tuesday turns even warmer — low 80s statewide. Wednesday could challenge record highs, pushing the mid-80s. That's 30 degrees above normal for mid-March. But Wednesday night flips the script. A strong cold front barrels through with showers and possible severe weather. Thursday sees rain early, then clearing skies and a sharp cooldown. Highs drop to the mid-60s to low 70s. Friday and Saturday bring sunshine and comfortable temperatures in the 60s and low 70s. One more thing — clocks spring forward tonight. You lose an hour of sleep, but sunset tonight comes at 7:16 P.M. More daylight is on the way. See you this evening.