Weather Permitting: Here's your Fayetteville-area weekend forecast
At long last, I think it's safe to say we can stick a fork in winter.
This morning saw light, scattered frost to the northern Cape Fear region. That's not surprising, given that the traditional "last winter" weekend in the region comes in late March.
We've had frost into mid-April on occasion, but sub-freezing nights are rare. In fact, records show that Fayetteville is just as likely to see temperatures in early April top 90 degrees than fall below 32.
With long-term patterns shifting upstream, it looks like the Cape Fear region will continue to see more spring-like weather continue. That means an increased chance of severe weather down the road as well.
Here's the setup
Canadian high pressure will begin to slide offshore. This sets up a warmer flow over the Carolinas. As a result, Thursday and Friday will be sunny and pleasant, with highs near 70 today, possibly pushing 80 on Friday. Overnight lows in Fayetteville will be in the upper 40s tonight.
Friday will be sunny and warm, with a brisk southerly wind. Look for clouds to begin building later in the afternoon, which may hold our highs in the upper 70s. Lows will likely hold in the low to mid-60s.
The weekend
The clouds are building ahead of an approaching cold front. Low pressure will pass well to our north, with a trailing front crossing the Cape Fear region late Saturday. Clouds and gusty southwest winds will highlight Saturday's forecast, with temperatures in the upper 70s. We'll see light, spotty showers as well, but nothing resembling a washout.
By Sunday morning, clouds will be gone and a strong northwest flow will drop temperatures back into the upper 40s across the region. Low 60s looks like the high for Fayetteville, despite plenty of sunshine. This bit of cool air doesn't have much staying power, so lows should stay above 40 in all but the traditionally colder spots.
Down the road
Warmer weather returns as the southern ridge moves back in. Monday will climb into the mid-70s, and odds are we'll be back in the mid-80s by Wednesday. After that, another front may bring showers. But the long-term pattern looks mild into mid-April.
Have a great weekend!
Got a weather question? Chick Jacobs can be reached at ncweatherhound@gmail.com or NCWeatherhound on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Fayetteville, NC weekend weather forecast
