Winston-Salem, North Carolina 7 Day Weather Forecast

Wx Forecast - Wx Discussion - Wx Aviation

250
FXUS62 KRAH 071043
AFDRAH

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Raleigh NC
645 AM EDT Fri Aug 7 2026

.WHAT HAS CHANGED...

* Shower/storm chances have trended downward for today.

* Increased confidence in a period of hot weather during the early
  to middle part of next week.

&&

.KEY MESSAGES...
As of 220 AM Friday...

1) Typical late-summer weather expected, with isolated to scattered
late-day showers and storms most days through next week. Convection
will be focused over the NW (Triad) and far SE portions of central
NC through this weekend.

2) Hot temperatures expected early-mid next week, peaking Tue-Wed
when highs will be in the low-mid 90s.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
As of 220 AM Friday...

KEY MESSAGE 1... Typical late-summer weather expected, with isolated
to scattered late-day showers and storms most days through next
week. Convection will be focused over the NW (Triad) and far SE
portions of central NC through this weekend.

We can`t identify with confidence an entirely dry day across all of
central NC over the next 7 days, as we maintain moist low levels
within a fairly stagnant large scale pattern, particularly from now
through the weekend. But, overall, our shower/storm coverage is
expected to be near or below climatology into the middle of next
week. Our current mid level pattern consists of a weak trough to our
W sandwiched between strong anticyclones over the Desert Southwest
and off the Mid Atlantic coast, while a large Canadian gyre spins
over N Manitoba, N Ontario, and Hudson Bay, and its associated broad
trough covers the Upper Midwest and N/W Great Lakes. Anticyclonic
surface winds from the SSW and SW over NC will persist into Sat,
around high pressure centered off the Carolina coast and extending
westward into the Southeast/Carolinas, as a lee trough holds over
the W Piedmont. Over the next few days, the better convection
chances over central NC will be in the far SE, associated with the
inland-tracking sea breeze, and in the NW, where mid level lapse
rates will be slightly more favorable compared to E NC and where
mountain storms may drift late in the day. For today/tonight, we`re
likely to be within a PW minimum, with values near or a bit under
normal, and this combined with a lack of large scale forcing for
ascent should greatly limit coverage today. We`re still expected
SBCAPE to peak up to 1500-2500 J/kg today, but with very poor deep
layer bulk shear. Isolated storms are still expected today, likely
starting on old weak outflows or differential heating zones or on
the sea breeze, with these isolated storms then translating further
N and NW through the afternoon and evening. This precip pattern
should hold through the weekend, albeit with slightly better
coverage as PW rebounds back above normal (and we can see this batch
of better moisture currently in GOES WV imagery just NE of the
Bahamas). Isolated strong gusts near wet microbursts will remain
possible, but these should be very few and far between, with the
poor shear limiting storm intensity and longevity.

Mid level flow becomes even weaker and more westerly or even WNW
starting early next week, as the westerlies remain to our N and the
mid level ridge off the Southeast coast flattens and expands
westward over FL/AL/GA, helping to curb access to the Gulf and
Atlantic moisture sources and driving our PW back down. This should
result in below-climo coverage, with a focus on mountain convection
shifting into the NW Piedmont. The westerlies associated with the
Canadian gyre and flat longwave trough over the Midwest/Great Lakes
is expected to dig gently across the Mid Atlantic region starting
Wed and continuing through late week, which should help support
greater and more organized convection, but likely still no higher
than good chance for now.


KEY MESSAGE 2...

As the flattening mid level ridge steadily expands westward over the
Southeast and Gulf states starting early next week, surface lee
troughing will sharpen over the Piedmont, with a downturn in cloud
cover leading to greater warming at the surface, while mid level
lapse rates remain modest to low. Low level thicknesses are expected
to rise to 5-15 m above normal starting Sun, when highs should reach
90 or higher most places. The hottest days of this stretch are
expected to be Tue/Wed, when highs will be in the low-mid 90s, with
lows in the low-mid 70s. The NWS experimental Heat Risk does reach
the Major category in some areas then, suggesting a higher chance of
heat-related illnesses for those without adequate cooling. By late
next week, as the northern stream dips into the Mid Atlantic with an
associated cold front approaching from the NW and N, the
acceleration of broad cyclonic flow overhead and resulting uptick in
clouds and pop coverage should help nudge highs down a bit by Fri.

&&

.AVIATION /12Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...
As of 645 AM Friday...

VFR conditions and light south southwesterly winds are expected
today. Any morning stratus will burn off quickly after sunrise,
giving way to VFR conditions, mid level clouds, and winds picking up
to 5 to 10 knots, with a few isolated gusts up to 18kts. Another day
for a chance of scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. Any storms
that do develop will quickly diminish shortly after sunset, leaving
VFR conditions under high cirrus and light winds overnight.

Outlook: Isolated to scattered thunderstorm coverage is
forecast again Saturday afternoon, with minimal coverage expected
Sunday through Tuesday afternoons. With no change in the muggy
airmass, cannot rule out restrictions around dawn each morning at
any terminal.

&&

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

&&

$$

DISCUSSION...Hartfield
AVIATION...CA/BLS