Weather
North Carolina Weather: Raleigh Thanksgiving Rain or Snow as Wetter Pattern Returns Nov. 14-27?
RALEIGH, NC – North Carolina is heading into November with temperatures approaching 80 degrees around Raleigh, but a changing NOAA precipitation outlook is putting Thanksgiving holiday travel, rain an
By Dylan Reeves · 2026-10-31T07:55:42.250Z
RALEIGH, NC – North Carolina is heading into November with temperatures approaching 80 degrees around Raleigh, but a changing NOAA precipitation outlook is putting Thanksgiving holiday travel, rain and the possibility of late season cold weather into focus.
The latest extended outlooks favor warmer than normal temperatures across North Carolina through much of November, while precipitation trends suggest wetter conditions could become more likely as Thanksgiving approaches.
NOAA Outlook Shows Changing Rain Chances Before Thanksgiving According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, outlooks issued Friday, Oct. 30, favor above normal temperatures across North Carolina during Nov. 5 9 and Nov. 7 13.
The precipitation outlook initially favors above normal amounts across much of the state during Nov. 5 9, particularly in eastern North Carolina. However, the Nov. 7 13 outlook shifts toward below normal precipitation across much of the state, including Raleigh.
That changes again during Nov. 14 27.
NOAA's Week 3 4 outlook favors above normal precipitation across North Carolina, including the Raleigh area, with probabilities generally around 40 50% in central portions of the state.
The period includes Thanksgiving on Thursday, Nov. 26, along with the surrounding holiday travel window.
Could Thanksgiving Bring Rain or Snow to North Carolina? While the extended outlook favors wetter than normal conditions later in November, it does not identify a specific Thanksgiving storm or determine whether precipitation would fall as rain or snow.
The temperature outlook for Nov. 14 27 shows equal chances of above , near and below normal temperatures across much of North Carolina, including Raleigh. That means NOAA does not currently favor a particular temperature category for the two week period.
Snowfall cannot be reliably assessed from these outlooks alone, and no specific Thanksgiving snow event is indicated.
Raleigh Temperatures Could Approach 80 Degrees First The immediate forecast looks considerably warmer.
The National Weather Service in Raleigh forecasts highs near 68 degrees Saturday and Sunday, climbing to 71 Monday, 76 Tuesday, 78 Wednesday and Thursday.
Rain chances increase later in the week, reaching 40% Wednesday night and 50% Thursday.
North Carolina residents will also turn clocks back one hour at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, bringing earlier sunsets and more evening travel after dark.
For Thanksgiving travelers, the key development to monitor will be whether NOAA's wetter late November signal continues as shorter range forecasts begin identifying individual weather systems.
Raleigh Five Day Weather Forecast Sunday, Nov. 1: Mostly sunny, high near 68°F. Mostly cloudy overnight, low around 47°F. Monday, Nov. 2: Partly sunny, high near 71°F. Mostly cloudy overnight, low around 50°F. Tuesday, Nov. 3: Partly sunny, high near 76°F. Mostly cloudy overnight, low around 57°F. Wednesday, Nov. 4: Mostly cloudy, high near 78°F. A 40% chance of showers Wednesday night, low around 61°F. Thursday, Nov. 5: Mostly cloudy, high near 78°F, with a 50% chance of showers. A 40% chance of showers Thursday night, low around 60°F.