Winston-Salem, North Carolina 7 Day Weather Forecast

Wx Forecast - Wx Discussion - Wx Aviation

126
FXUS62 KRAH 312308
AFDRAH

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Raleigh NC
608 PM EST Wed Dec 31 2025

.SYNOPSIS...
Weak high pressure will remain over the area through the end of the
week, bringing dry weather to the region along with varying amounts
of cloud cover. Low pressure will track south of the Carolinas late
Friday into Saturday, bringing the next chance of rain to the area.
Dry weather will return Sunday into early next week.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
As of 500 PM Wednesday...

The increased fire danger has been allowed to expire as of 5 pm this
evening. Wind gusts are decreasing and relative humidity values
should continue to increase into the mid to late evening hours. The
prior discussion from this afternoon follows below.

* Cool/dry tonight with temps in the 30s at midnight.

Broad northwesterly flow aloft persists across much of the eastern
CONUS today. A weak shortwave trough is approaching the western
Appalachian mountains which should bring some increased cloudiness
to the area as it makes it way eastward this afternoon/evening,
otherwise conditions are relatively quiet across the area. Temps
remain below normal for this time of year but are still about 5-8
degrees warmer than what was seen on Thursday. Look for late day
highs to top out in the upper 40s to lower 50s.

For the rest of this afternoon, we are still looking at the
potential for some occasionally breezy conditions with gusts to
around 20 mph at times. Between these winds, downslope drying off
the mountains, and subsequent RH`s in the 25-35 percent range, the
Increased Fire Danger Statement remains in place through 5pm. Winds
will relax considerably after sunset and fire weather concerns will
also diminish.

Temps tonight will bottom out in the upper 20s to lower 30s, with
midnight temps generally in the mid/upper 30s. No threat of rain
given high pressure across the area and continued downslope drying
off the mountains.

&&

.SHORT TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/...
As of 1218 PM Wednesday...

* Near normal temperatures Thursday afternoon and dry weather
  expected to continue.

Much of the same forecast for New Year`s Day as broad northwesterly
flow remains the dominant synoptic feature across the region.
Thicknesses will be a bit higher Thursday as compared to today and
as such, look for high temps to be about 3-5 degrees warmer than
today`s max temps. Highs generally ranging from around 50 in the
north to the upper 50s across the Sandhills/southern Coastal Plain.
Lows tomorrow night ranging from the upper 20s in the north to the
lower 30s in the south. Continued dry with zero or near-zero PoPs.

&&

.LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
As of 126 PM Wednesday...

Upper pattern: A short-wave will transit the southern Plains/Deep
South Friday into Saturday night. Nwly aloft returns over central NC
Sunday through Wednesday as an anomalous mid-level ridge re-
amplifies over the central US.

The aforementioned weak short-wave will move across the Deep South
Friday evening and push offshore through Saturday evening. Ahead of
the system, swly sfc will develop over central NC with some
temperature and dew point recovery expected (highs will reach the
mid to upper 50s Friday afternoon). Associated mid-level
perturbations will move across the southeast Friday evening and into
the overnight period. At the sfc, models depict a weak low
developing Friday night over the Gulf states. Lift associated with
these features should promote the development of light rain over the
Deep South Friday evening that will shift east with time through
Saturday morning. Deterministic and ensemble guidance has trended
back to a wetter Saturday for central NC, as most guidance drive the
sfc low directly across our southern areas. As such PoPs have
trended higher as well, with highest PoPs Saturday afternoon and
evening.  Overall QPF currently ranges between a few tenths of an
inch across the NC/VA border to up to three quarters of an inch
across the NC/SC border. Given the wetter trend, daytime highs
Saturday could be much cooler than previously thought, perhaps only
reaching the mid to upper 40s for much of the area.

Any lingering light rain should move east of the area by early
overnight Saturday into Sunday morning.

Dry high pressure will settle in behind the exiting weak short-wave
as nwly flow aloft dominates into early next week. After a cooler
day Monday (highs in the mid 40s NE to lower 50s SW), we`ll see
temperatures rise to above normal into the lower to mid 60s by
Wednesday afternoon.

&&

.AVIATION /00Z THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/...
As of 608 PM Wednesday...

There is high confidence in VFR conditions through the 24-hour TAF
period. Wind gusts have died down and should persist through the
night. A trough will move through tomorrow morning and bring with it
some gusts across the northern terminals, mainly between 16-22 kt.
These gusts should dissipate by early Thu evening with loss of
heating. A few 4 kft ceilings are possible at the Triad terminals
(GSO/INT) during the afternoon Thu.

Outlook: VFR conditions are expected through Friday night, but
eventually widespread rain and IFR conditions are expected into
Saturday night. Dry VFR conditions should return for Sunday.

&&

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

&&

$$

SYNOPSIS...Leins
NEAR TERM...Kren/Leins
SHORT TERM...Leins
LONG TERM...Luchetti
AVIATION...Kren/Leins