Sunny Sunday comes ahead of brief pollen relief Monday

Wednesday will be breezy, dry and cooler after a cold front moved through North Carolina overnight.

“It’s a clear and cooler start to the morning,” WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner said. “A northwest breeze will keep us cooler into the afternoon compared to recent days. Highs will reach the middle 60s under a partly cloudy sky.”

We’ll see highs in the 60s during the afternoon, and it will be breezy at times.

The breezy afternoon opens the door (again) for a risk of brush fires throughout our area and much of North Carolina.

• Wednesday: Partly cloudy and breezy. Highs in the lower-mid 60s.
• Thursday: Mostly sunny skies and still cool. Highs in the lower-mid 60s.
• Friday: Partly cloudy, breezy, and warmer. Highs in the lower-mid 70s.

Frost advisory Thursday morning

High pressure moves directly overhead Wednesday night into Thursday morning, resulting in a colder morning Thursday.

A frost advisory is in effect until 9 a.m. Thursday for counties north of Wake, Johnston and Harnett counties. This includes portions of the Triangle, like Chapel Hill and Durham.

Spring to summer: 80s on tap

This kind of chill won’t last long, though. A warming breeze from the southwest will push us into the 70s and 80s this weekend.

Friday will feature a high in the upper 70s, and Saturday could reach 80 degrees. Both days will be partly cloudy but should stay dry.

There is a chance for scattered storms on Sunday, which will stay warm with highs in the upper 70s.

We are still working on ironing out the exact timing, but we’ll put the caution light on weekend plans for now.

That chance for storms lingers into Monday, as another spring cold front moves through the Carolinas.

“We’ve already been placed under the severe weather potential threat for next Monday, so almost a week from now,” WRAL meteorologist Kat Campbell said. “This is a setup that we will have to continue to monitor, especially with some of that warmer air to help energize storms.”

Warming weather brings allergy season

With the warmth comes the pollen, and those who suffer from allergies should take note. As trees like juniper, elm and maple release their allergenic particles, tree pollen counts typically peaks in late March or early April.

We had lots of pine pollen last week, and levels are only rising. Your cars may have a slight dusting in yellow color.

Mold spores, which thrive in the damp of spring showers, also build up as the weather warms. Grass emerges more slowly, with grass pollen peaking in May.

7-day forecast for central NC

• Wednesday: Partly cloudy. High of 65.
• Thursday: Mostly sunny skies and still cool, high of 66.
• Friday: Partly cloudy, breezy and warmer. Highs in the mid to upper 70s.
• Saturday: Mostly cloudy and warm. Highs in the upper 70s-lower 80s.
• Sunday: Rain and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 70s-80 degrees.
• Monday: Cloudy and warm with showers/storms around. High of 81.
• Tuesday: Partly cloudy, breezy and cooler. Highs in the lower-mid 60s.

Statewide burn ban

The North Carolina Forest Service issued a ban on all open burning and has suspended all burning permits statewide until further notice.

There are active wildfires in Polk and Caldwell Counties. Hundreds of acres continued to burn in the Green River Game Land on Saturday.

“It is spring wildfire season in North Carolina, and we are seeing wildfire activity increase due to dry conditions,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “With these ongoing conditions, a statewide burn ban is necessary to reduce the risk of wildfires starting and spreading quickly.”

Critical fire conditions – a combination of winds gusting to 35 mph, low humidity and warm temperatures – were forecast for Saturday across the state.

Under North Carolina law, the ban prohibits all open burning in all 100 counties, regardless of whether a permit was previously issued. No new permits will be issued until the ban is lifted. Anyone violating the burn ban faces a $100 fine plus $183 court costs. Any person responsible for setting a fire may be liable for any expenses related to extinguishing the fire.

Source – Indonesia News