Winston-Salem, North Carolina 7 Day Weather Forecast

Wx Forecast - Wx Discussion - Wx Aviation

308
FXUS62 KRAH 180018
AFDRAH

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Raleigh NC
717 PM EST Wed Dec 17 2025

.SYNOPSIS...
High pressure will linger along the Southeast coast today. A wedge
front will develop and become quasi-stationary over the western
Piedmont of the Carolinas and Virginia Thursday and Thursday night,
then be overtaken by a cold front that will sweep across the region
early Friday. Following high pressure will migrate quickly eastward
and across and offshore the Southeast through Saturday.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
As of 145 PM Tuesday...

A warming trend continues today with weak high pressure centered off
the coast to our south. This afternoon, southwesterly winds should
continue to gust up to around 25 mph in the south and east,
diminishing around sunset with the loss of daytime heating. High
temperatures this afternoon should peak in the low 50s in the
northwest to the low 60s in the southeast, which is up to 10 degrees
above normal for this time of year. Tonight, temperatures look to
drop generally into the mid 30s to around 40, with some locations in
the northeast dipping below freezing. By late morning, light rain
will start to approach the region from the southeast ahead of the
next frontal system, however any rain currently looks to hold off
until after sunrise Thursday.

&&

.SHORT TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/...
As of 1230 PM Wednesday...

By Thursday morning, strong low pressure will be over the northern
Plains, with a cold front extending south into Texas. In addition,
there will be a weak low along the North Carolina coast with a
coastal front. Both synoptic and high-resolution models are showing
rain moving in from the southwest Thursday morning more quickly than
previous runs, although it does not appear that the morning rain
will be particularly heavy. The chance for rain and amounts will
increase through the afternoon into the overnight hours, with
widespread rain across the region Thursday night as the cold front
approaches central North Carolina. With limited instability, the
chance for a thunderstorm appears to be limited to southernmost
locations in the forecast area, with thunderstorms likely remaining
to the south and east of the region. Rainfall should be between a
half inch and three quarters of an inch - helpful rainfall
considering the drought, but not enough to change the drought status.

The temperature forecast remains tricky. Temperatures in the Triad
now appear that they will be higher than previously thought, rising
into the mid 50s. The high temperature forecast for the rest of the
forecast area remains mostly unchanged, with values as high as the
upper 60s in the southeast. As for overnight temperatures, while
locations in the southeast will fall to around 60 degrees in the
evening, most other locations should have the temperature remain
nearly steady state during the overnight hours.

&&

.LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
As of 130 PM Wednesday...

* Dry pattern persists with seasonable to above-normal temperatures,
  briefly turning colder on Monday

Friday: A trailing northern-stream trough and attendant cold front
will move east across the area through midday Friday. A weakening
band of pre-frontal convection should exit the eastern counties by
mid to late morning, followed by strong synoptic-scale subsidence
and clearing for the second half of the day. The west-to-east
frontal passage will result in a broad range of highs, from the
lower to mid 50s across the northwest to the lower to mid 60s across
the southeast. Friday night will be chilly, with lows ranging from
the mid to upper 20s north to the lower 30s south.

Saturday through Wednesday: Beneath quasi-zonal flow aloft, a series
of transitory Pacific surface highs will support dry weather with
modestly fluctuating temperatures, generally near to above normal,
through the period. The lone exception will be Monday, which appears
to be the coldest day of the forecast period, with below-normal
highs mainly in the 40s to lower 50s.

&&

.AVIATION /00Z THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/...
As of 717 PM Wednesday...

VFR conditions will prevail through early Thursday under multi-
layered mid to high level cloudiness.  By late morning/early
afternoon, however, a surge of low-level moisture and light rain
will move from the mountains/foothills east across central NC. A CAD
wedge will likely set up across the Triad, allowing for lowest
ceilings (likely LIFR) to sock in by early to mid-afternoon. Expect
MVFR to IFR conditions to develop elsewhere by mid to late afternoon
(latest at KRWI). High-res ensemble guidance is also bullish on
potentially dense fog in the wedge zone, with lowest visbys likely
at KINT/KGSO Thursday evening through the early overnight period
ahead of a front. Lastly, a strengthening low-level jet will likely
induce LLWS conditions at all sites late in the 24 hr TAF period
extending into the overnight period.

Outlook: The front will sweep west to east through Friday morning
ushering in drier air with sites returning to VFR by early to mid
Friday morning. Post-frontal nwly gusts of 20 to 25 kts will be
possible Friday afternoon especially at KRDU/KRWI. High pressure and
associated VFR conditions will then persist through the remainder of
the extended period. A dry cold front may produce gusty nwly sfc
winds Sunday night/early Monday morning in the 20 to 25 kt range.

&&

.RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
None.

&&

$$

SYNOPSIS...MWS
NEAR TERM...LH
SHORT TERM...Green
LONG TERM...CBL
AVIATION...Luchetti