342  
FXUS62 KRAH 171036  
AFDRAH  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC  
635 AM EDT SAT OCT 17 2026  
   
WHAT HAS CHANGED
 
 
* TIMING OF RAIN ENDING (LATE AFTERNOON IN THE EAST).  
 
* TEMPERATURES WILL FALL THROUGH THE MORNING WITH THE INCREASE IN  
RAINFALL.  
 
* ANY DAMAGING OR KILLING FROST APPEARS VERY UNLIKELY DUE TO  
RESIDUAL BREEZES TONIGHT (AND TEMPS TOO WARM).  
 

 
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
AS OF 225 AM SATURDAY...  
 
1) GUSTY NORTH WINDS TO 25 MPH WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY RAIN AND  
SHARPLY COLDER TEMPERATURES FALLING INTO THE 50S TODAY.  
 
2) LITTLE IF ANY FROST THREAT TONIGHT OR SUNDAY NIGHT GIVEN SOME  
BREEZINESS AND CLOUDINESS (SUNDAY NIGHT).  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
AS OF 225 AM SATURDAY...  
 
KEY MESSAGE 1... GUSTY NORTH WINDS TO 25 MPH WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY  
RAIN AND SHARPLY COLDER TEMPERATURES FALLING INTO THE 50S TODAY.  
 
THE COLD FRONT HAD PUSHED THROUGH ALL THE REGION EXCEPT FAYETTEVILLE  
AND CLINTON AS OF 200 AM. THE FRONT WAS NOT ACCOMPANIED BY EVEN  
ISOLATED SHOWERS. ALL THE SHOWERS HAVE BEEN BEHIND THE FRONT. THIS  
CHANCE OF SHOWERS WILL EXIST BEHIND THE FRONT THROUGH 400 OR 500 AM  
THEN RAIN WILL FILL IN OVER THE WESTERN PIEDMONT, THEN SPREAD EAST.  
THIS RAIN ACCORDING TO THE LATEST GUIDANCE IS FAVORED TO LAST  
THROUGH THE MORNING IN THE WEST, AND INTO THE EARLY TO MID AFTERNOON  
IN THE EAST. THE HIGHER POP (100) WILL BE IN THE NORTH AND EAST,  
WITH 70-80 POP SOUTHWEST. POP WILL REDUCE AND FALL OFF BY MID TO  
LATE DAY IN THE COASTAL PLAIN.  
 
IT WILL BE SHARPLY COLDER TODAY WITH TEMPERATURES LIKELY TO FALL  
WITH THE NORTHERLY WINDS 15-25 MPH THROUGH THE MORNING INTO THE 50S.  
AS THE RAIN SPREADS INTO THE SE SECTIONS BY MID MORNING OR SO,  
TEMPERATURES WILL FALL SHARPLY THERE, AS WELL.  
 
THE MID/UPPER TROUGH WILL PIVOT EAST OF THE REGION LATER TODAY  
ALLOWING FOR SUBSIDENCE DRYING AND CLEARING FROM NW TO SE THIS  
AFTERNOON. HOWEVER, SOME CLOUDINESS WILL LINGER IN THE SE AT SUNSET.  
TEMPS MAY RECOVER A FEW DEGREES IN THE NW WITH THE DOWNSLOPE FLOW  
AND A BIT OF SUN LATER.  
 
RAINFALL FORECASTS OF 0.5 TO POSSIBLY SOME 0.75 EXPECTED TODAY FROM  
RALEIGH NE AND E TO THE COAST, LOWER TOTALS OF LESS THAN 0.25  
EXPECTED IN THE SW PIEDMONT.  
 
NO ADDITIONAL QPF AFTER TODAY.  
 
KEY MESSAGE 2... LITTLE IF ANY FROST THREAT TONIGHT OR SUNDAY NIGHT  
GIVEN SOME BREEZINESS AND CLOUDINESS (SUNDAY NIGHT). NO KILLING  
FROST ANTICIPATED.  
 
EVEN THROUGH GUIDANCE SUGGESTS SOME MID 30S IN THE COLDER AND MORE  
CALM WESTERN PIEDMONT LATER TONIGHT WITH CLEAR SKIES, VERY LITTLE  
FROST IS EXPECTED (IF ANY). WE DO NOT EXPECT A KILLING FROST  
ANYWHERE DUE TO THE LOWS 35-42 W TO SE. TYPICALLY, THE FIRST REAL  
COLD FRONT OF THE OCTOBER SEASON DOES NOT BRING A KILLING FROST TO  
THE LOWER PIEDMONT, COASTAL PLAIN, AND SANDHILLS. THIS ONE SEEMS ON  
TARGET FOR A MINIMAL THREAT OF A BIT OF LIGHT FROST IN SPOTTY AREAS  
AROUND LEXINGTON TO ASHEBORO AND POSSIBLY SILER CITY AND ROXBORO -  
BUT NOT DAMAGING. WE WILL REMOVE MENTION FROM THE HAZARDS SECTION  
(HWO).  
 
WINDS WILL CONTINUE BRISK FROM THE NORTH TO 25 TO 30 MPH ON SUNDAY  
AND POSSIBLY MONDAY - DEPENDING ON HOW SLOW THE COASTAL LOWS  
DEPARTURE.  
 
REGARDLESS, SLOWLY MODERATING TEMPERATURES AND DRY WEATHER IS  
EXPECTED INLAND NC AND ALL OF OUR REGION MONDAY-FRIDAY.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /12Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/
 
 
AS OF 635 AM SATURDAY...  
 
TAF PERIOD: RAIN IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER THE PIEDMONT AND  
SANDHILLS THROUGH 15Z, THEN OVERSPREAD CENTRAL AND EASTERN NC  
THROUGH THE MORNING. PERIODS OF RAIN WILL FINALLY TAPER OFF BETWEEN  
18Z AND 22Z IN THE EAST. WIDESPREAD IFR CEILINGS WILL DEVELOP  
BETWEEN 12Z AND 15Z AND PERSIST MUCH OF THE AFTERNOON. VISIBILITIES  
ARE LIKELY TO DROP TO MVFR (AND POTENTIALLY IFR AT TIMES) WITH THE  
RAIN, AS WELL. VFR CONDITIONS AND DRY WEATHER WILL RETURN FROM NW TO  
SE FROM MID AFTERNOON INTO EARLY EVENING. NORTHERLY WINDS WILL ALSO  
INCREASE A BIT FURTHER DURING THE DAY, GUSTING UP TO 30 KTS.  
 
OUTLOOK: A SURFACE LOW IS FORECAST TO DEVELOP ALONG THE COLD FRONT  
ONCE IT REACHES THE ATLANTIC OCEAN LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT, WHICH  
COULD RESULT IN SEVERAL DAYS OF INTERMITTENT CLOUDINESS AND BREEZY  
CONDITIONS IN THE EAST. CONFIDENCE IS LOW AS TO WHETHER MVFR  
CEILINGS WOULD ALSO BE PRESENT. NORTHERLY WIND GUSTS BETWEEN 25-35  
KT WILL OCCUR SUNDAY, DIMINISHING MONDAY OR MONDAY NIGHT IF THE LOW  
MOVES OUT THAT QUICKLY.  
 

 
   
RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
NONE.  
 

 
 

 
 
DISCUSSION...BADGETT  
AVIATION...BADGETT  
 
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