Summer heat and storms in the holiday weekend forecast

We'll have another calm day on Tuesday, but we could see showers and storms return to kick off Memorial Day weekend.

Posted 9:00 a.m. Apr 1 — Updated 4:56 p.m. Today

WRAL Severe Weather Center

RALEIGH, N.C. — The summer heat returns this week, and scattered storms are on tap for the holiday weekend,

Tuesday will be a warm day with highs in the mid 80s and partly cloudy to sunny skies. Temperatures will climb into the 80s around 1 p.m., and the humidity shouldn't be too bad.

Tuesday: Partly cloudy. High of 84.
Wednesday: Intervals of clouds and sunshine. Highs in the upper 80s.
Thursday: Mostly sunny skies. High of 92.

Warming week before storms return

We'll see temperatures gradually warm up as we move through the week.

It's going to feel like summer all week, with temperatures in the upper 80s on Wednesday and the lower 90s Thursday.

Humidity will be tolerable for the first half of the week, but Thursday and Friday will be sticky.

Most of the week will stay dry, with little to no chance for rain, but storms could return Friday into Memorial Day weekend.

Memorial Day weekend storms

On Memorial Day, we could see a 50% chance of storms, but the weekend won't be a complete washout.

According to WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner, Friday will be partly cloudy with late-day storms possible in the evening and overnight.

There is some good news -- rain chances have backed off a bit for Saturday. Again, showers and storms will be more likely in the evening.

"I still feel like we have a chance," Gardner said, but even with scattered thunderstorms, the weekend should not be a washout.

"As it looks now, we would not be talking about washout conditions but, rather, scattered coverage each day," said WRAL meteorologist Anthony Baglione.

7-day forecast for central NC

Tuesday: Partly Cloudy. 20% chance of precipitation. High of 84.
Wednesday: Intervals of clouds and sunshine. Highs in the upper 80s.
Thursday: Mostly sunny skies. High of 92.
Friday: Partly to mostly cloudy with scattered showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the mid to upper 80s.
Saturday: 40% chance for rain and storms. Highs in the mid 80s.
Sunday: A few showers and storms possible. Highs in the mid 80s.
Monday (Memorial Day): Scattered showers possible. Highs in the upper 80s.

Prepare for a busy 2024 Atlantic hurricane season

The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season will see 15 to 20 named storms in the Atlantic basin, according to researchers at North Carolina State University.

The number of named storms is significantly higher than the long-term average and moderately higher than recent 30-year averages, according to Lian Xie, professor of marine, earth and atmospheric sciences at N.C. State.

In 2024, N.C. State researchers predict:

15-20 named storms
10 to 12 may grow strong enough to become hurricanes (the historical average is six)
Three to four becoming major hurricanes

NC State researchers predict active Atlantic hurricane season with 15-20 named storms

Meanwhile, forecasters at Colorado State University are calling for 24 named storms in the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. That is higher than the average year, when 14 storms earn a name.

CSU forecasters say 11 storms will reach hurricane strength, up from the average of seven, and five of those hurricanes could be "major," that is Category 3, 4 or 5, with winds over 111 mph.

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