Forecast Last Updated at Thursday, March 11, 2010 at 6:59AM

Light Rain This Afternoon; Mild Friday With Late Showers

Today will be cloudy with periods of mostly light rain this afternoon. Friday will be milder with a few daytime showers. A much better chance for showers (and maybe a thundershower) comes Friday night into early Saturday. Weekend weather will continue to be unsettled, with shower chances both weekend days. It will be cold enough on Sunday for snow showers at higher elevations.

Thursday Hi: 51 Lo: 44 Cloudy; Afternoon & nighttime light rain & drizzle; SE wind 5-10 mph

Friday Hi: 57 Lo: 43 Generally cloudy; Perhaps a daytime shower, but heavier/steadier during the evening/nighttime; Maybe a thundershower; SE wind around 10 mph

Saturday Hi: 48 Lo: 36 Generally cloudy; Cooler; Daytime showers; Snow showers possible at night on the mountaintops; NW wind 10-15 mph

Sunday Hi: 40 Lo: 36 Mostly cloudy & colder; Higher elevation snow showers & lower elevation rain showers

Monday Hi: 41 Lo: 36 Still mostly gray; Leftover snow or rain showers (elevation dependent); Still chilly

Further Out

Tuesday - Leftover early drizzle; Still lots of clouds; High in the mid 40s; Low in the lower 30s
Wednesday - Mostly cloudy; High near 50 degrees; Low in the mid 30s

Forecast Discussion

Low pressure over northern Missouri will swing a cold front into the Carolinas Friday night. Ahead of this feature, a broad southerly flow out of the Gulf of Mexico will generate rainfall across the Carolinas. Heavy rainfall here in the mountains is not anticipated, as thunderstorm activity along the Gulf Coast keeps much of the available energy confined to areas farther to the south. Mostly light rain is expected today and Friday.

Milder air ahead of the front will surge into the Carolinas tomorrow. A band of heavier showers (maybe a thundershower) will accompany the front Friday night as it rolls through the area. Weekend weather will be governed by a large upper level low pressure system that will be moving across our region. Colder air will be moving in, and rain showers on Saturday could turn to snow showers on Sunday, especially at higher elevations. Enough cold air will move into the mountains Sunday night and into Monday for snow showers down to about 3,000 feet in elevation.

Looking ahead, more seasonable and dry weather returns after the early-week cool snap. A system passing by to our south by the middle of next week will bring some clouds, but we'll hold rain out of the forecast for now.

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