Clear skies and patchy fog Thursday night after Raleigh's hottest day of 2024 so far

Temperatures hit 92 degrees Thursday afternoon, marking the hottest day in 2024 so far.

Posted 9:00 a.m. Apr 1 — Updated 11:01 p.m. Yesterday

WRAL Severe Weather Center

RALEIGH, N.C. — Temperatures hit 92 degrees on Thursday at Raleigh-Durham International Airport for the first time in 2024.

It marks the hottest day of 2024 so far.

Thursday night will be mostly clear, a little patchy fog is possible toward the coastal plain and coast. Low of 64.

Thursday night: Clear to partly cloudy. Low 63.
Friday: Partly cloudy skies. High of 91.
Saturday: Isolated showers and storms possible. Highs in the low 80s.

Near-record heat to close the week

It's going to be scorching on Thursday and Friday.

Thursday and Friday will have lows in the 90s. Although it'll be hot, it won't be the record high for May 2 and May 3.

Temperatures hit 92 degrees Thursday, May 2, 2024, marking the hottest day of the year so far.

Our temperature outlook through May 11 show a really good chance of above normal heat.

Friday will be hot! Highs climb near 90 again and humidity isn't bad. Some upper-level cirrus clouds move in.

There is a 20% chance of a lingering storm after sunset Friday.

Temperature outlook, Tuesday, May 7, through Monday, May 13.

"It's likely 90s for high will be seen next week," Maze said.

Weekend outlook, Friday, May 3, through Sunday, May 5.

Weekend brings storms, slight cooldown

Get ready for a wet weekend. We have a 50% chance for storms on Saturday and Sunday.

"We will see afternoon and evening storms each day," said WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner. "Mainly what we will see is afternoon and evening rain and storms. There is a chance of rain in the morning both days."

Futurecast for 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 4.

After temperatures in the 90s on Thursday and Friday, the weekend will be slightly cooler. Saturday has a high of 82 degrees, and Sunday's high is only 80 degrees.

With all this warm weather, the flowers and trees are blooming – meaning pollen counts are high. If you're sneezing, spring allergies could be to blame.

As of April 29, rainfall stats for our area are down from normal levels. RDU is in a 2.29" deficit for April while Fayetteville is in a deficit of a little over an inch.

Both Raleigh and Fayetteville are in rainfall deficits for April.

7-day forecast for central NC

Thursday: Sunshine and clouds mixed. High of 90.
Friday: Partly cloudy skies. High of 91.
Saturday: Isolated showers and storms possible. Highs in the low 80s.
Sunday: 40% chance for rain and storms. Highs in the low 80s.
Monday: Partly cloudy skies and hotter. Highs in the low 80s.
Tuesday: Small chances for showers in the afternoon and evening. High of 87.
Wednesday: Partly cloudy skies with a chance for showers and storm. Potentially the hottest day of the year with highs in the low 90s.

Prepare for a busy 2024 Atlantic hurricane season

The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season will see 15 to 20 named storms in the Atlantic basin, according to researchers at North Carolina State University.

The number of named storms is significantly higher than the long-term average and moderately higher than recent 30-year averages, according to Lian Xie, professor of marine, earth and atmospheric sciences at NC State.

In 2024, NC State researchers predict:

15-20 named storms
10 to 12 may grow strong enough to become hurricanes (the historical average is six)
Three to four becoming major hurricanes

NC State researchers predict active Atlantic hurricane season with 15-20 named storms

Meanwhile, forecasters at Colorado State University are calling for 24 named storms in the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. That is higher than the average year, when 14 storms earn a name.

CSU forecasters say 11 storms will reach hurricane strength, up from the average of seven, and five of those hurricanes could be "major," that is Category 3, 4 or 5, with winds over 111 mph.