NORTH CAROLINA — Morning fog lifts to reveal clear blue skies across the Triangle, but a quiet calm won’t last. Mild air and sunshine early in the week will give way to a Tuesday rain system, bringing scattered showers and a few evening downpours to central North Carolina. The good news — the system clears just in time for Thanksgiving travel, leaving behind crisp, sunny weather for the holiday.
According to the National Weather Service in Raleigh, high pressure keeps conditions dry and comfortable through Monday. Expect highs near 63°F Monday afternoon, with light winds and cool, clear skies Monday night. Clouds increase late Monday as a weak frontal system approaches from the west, bringing a 70% chance of rain on Tuesday, particularly from midday through late evening.
Rain will be light to moderate, with no flooding concerns, but wet roads could slow travel along I-40, I-85, and US-1 as pre-Thanksgiving movement intensifies across the region. A few rumbles of thunder are possible Tuesday night as the front pushes eastward.
By Wednesday, cooler and drier air filters in, leaving highs near 72°F and mostly cloudy skies. Thanksgiving Day itself looks picture-perfect — sunny, dry, and seasonal, with highs near 52°F and crisp morning lows in the mid-30s.
Looking beyond the holiday, models hint at a broader cold front across the eastern U.S. by the weekend. That system could bring the season’s first real “Winter Tease” to parts of the Midwest and Northeast, including possible heavy snow in late November through early December.
Five-Day Forecast for Raleigh, NC:
Sun: 67/41 – Becoming sunny; light breeze.
Mon: 63/42 – Sunny; calm winds.
Tue: 70/60 – Showers likely; chance thunder.
Wed: 72/41 – Clearing; partly cloudy.
Thu: 52/33 – Thanksgiving sunshine; cool and dry.
