Winston-Salem, North Carolina 7 Day Weather Forecast

Wx Forecast - Wx Discussion - Wx Aviation

130
FXUS62 KRAH 171855
AFDRAH

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Raleigh NC
255 PM EDT Tue Mar 17 2026

.WHAT HAS CHANGED...
As of 255 PM Tuesday...

* Slight rise in minimum temperatures for Wednesday morning,
  although a hard freeze still appears likely.

&&

.KEY MESSAGES...
As of 255 PM Tuesday...

1) A hard freeze is likely for most locations in the
forecast area tonight into Wednesday morning with much below normal
temperatures for the middle of March.

2) A backdoor front is expected to move into and through NC from the
north sometime between late Sun and early Tue, but differences in
timing among the models is large, which means a low-confidence
temperature and rain chance forecast Sun-Tue.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
As of 255 PM Tuesday...

KEY MESSAGE 1... A hard freeze is likely for most locations in the
forecast area tonight into Wednesday morning with much below normal
temperatures for the middle of March.

High pressure is currently centered over Louisiana, which will
expand to the northeast over the next 24 hours. Diurnal cumulus is
currently expanding east from the Triad towards the I-95 corridor.
The cloud cover will increase through the afternoon and decrease
this evening. After the diurnal cu fades away, high clouds will
overspread the region after midnight. The trickest part when it
comes to the temperature forecast tonight will be how much
radiational cooling is able to occur between the afternoon cumulus
and the overnight cirrus. The wind is not expected to go calm
overnight, although the wind should be at or below 5 kt. The
forecast on this cycle has risen back one or two degrees because the
wind is not expected to go calm in addition to greater cloud cover.
Even with the slight increase in the temperature forecast, this
still calls for a forecast in the 20s in all locations. Although the
growing season has not officially begun, any early budding
plants/vegetation will likely experience a hard freeze if not
protected.


KEY MESSAGE 2... A backdoor front is expected to move into and
through NC from the north sometime between late Sun and early Tue,
but differences in timing among the models is large, which means a
low-confidence temperature and rain chance forecast Sun-Tue.

The strong mid level ridge over the Desert Southwest and NW Mexico
much of this week will weaken a bit and flatten as it spreads
eastward, resulting in trend to above-normal to much-above-normal
temps for NC Fri into Sun, as we stay in a WNW flat and dry-source
steering flow. Then, a frigid polar low over the Arctic and N Canada
will dig southward into S Canada and the N CONUS, with emerging
significant differences among deterministic models and ensemble
members and means regarding the timing and amplitude of this
resultant broad trough spreading and digging over the Great Lakes
and Northeast early next week. These model differences become
especially stark and important Sun night into Tue, when the
associated surface backdoor front is expected to push southward into
and through NC, with the very warm air south of it quickly
supplanted by a frigid surface high building in from the N and a
potential transient CAD event toward the middle of next week. The
model differences are most stark and important Sun night into Tue,
when the NBM and LREF spread between the 10th and 90th percentiles
reaches an astonishing 35-40 degrees F, depending on when the front
pushes through (and, to a lesser degree, the amount of clouds and
precip at any given time), with the AIGEFS-ens similar with a 25-35
degrees F spread. The westerly mid level trajectory component and
the E-to-W surface ridge to our south, across the Gulf/FL/Bahamas
(limiting Gulf moisture influx), would tend to favor light QPF with
any frontal precip, so will maintain low to no pops for now. But be
aware that higher pops may be needed in this period in later
forecasts. And while our forecast temps will reflect a mild scenario
with lows in the 50s Sun night and highs in the upper 60s to low 70s
Mon, confidence is very low, and these readings could easily be 10-
20 degrees higher or lower than these values. Stay tuned.

&&

.AVIATION /18Z TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/...
As of 120 PM Tuesday...

TAF period: High confidence in VFR conditions throughout the TAF
period. Diurnal clouds will increase across northern sites this
afternoon, possibly becoming ceilings at INT/GSO. Gusts have been
slow to increase at some sites today, but expect that later in the
afternoon gusts should approach 20 kt in most locations. Instead of
diminishing around sunset, have followed model soundings that show
gusts not dropping off until late evening. While diurnal cumulus
will fade away, high clouds are likely at all terminals overnight.
The wind will veer through the period, becoming northerly this
evening and eventually coming out of the northeast Wednesday morning.

Outlook: Dry VFR conditions are forecast into the weekend. Gusts
could increase up to 15 kt Saturday and Sunday.

&&

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

&&

$$

DISCUSSION...Green/Hartfield
AVIATION...Green