Charlie’s First Alert Forecast: Ophelia’s track over ENC gives us a soggy & windy Saturday
The heaviest rain will start to fade in the afternoon, going quiet for most after sunset
GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) - Rainfall was continuous overnight for most of Eastern NC and as the sun starts to rise over the horizon, Ophelia will make landfall between Onslow and Carteret counties. Rainfall totals for most of the East range between 1 to 3 inches as of 4 a.m. this morning, but an additional 1 to 3 inches will fall as the center of Ophelia moves inland. The ragged nature of the storm has kept us clear of tornados and will likely continue to do so through the rest of the event. Coastal flooding will be an issue during the early to mid morning hours today, gradually fading as Ophelia weakens and moves northward towards the I-95 corridor.
Wind speeds, particularly gusts, will range between 30 to 40 mph for most communities with a few spots on the coast registering gusts between 50 to 60 mph. The winds will relax in the late morning through early evening hours today. Highs will reach the low 70s this afternoon before dropping into the low 60s overnight into Sunday. Winds will go quiet overnight, leaving us with a slight westerly breeze as we wrap up the weekend.
Several weak boundary fronts will approach the East through the work week, keeping a slight (20%-30%) chance of rain in the forecast from Monday through Friday. Highs will hold in the upper 70s to low 80s through the week due to the thicker cloud cover. No severe weather is expected through the upcoming work week.
Stay tuned to WITN, witn.com, and the WITN First Alert Weather App for the latest information.
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