Severe Weather Alert Issued for Central North Carolina

Central North Carolina faces a Level 4 "Moderate Risk" for severe weather on Monday, as announced by the National Weather Service in Raleigh.

School Closures and Schedule Changes

Several counties have announced school adjustments due to the forecast:

• Closed: Chapel Hill-Carrboro, Durham County, Johnston County, Lee County, Moore County, Orange County, Robeson County, Wake County.
• Remote Learning: Harnett County.
• Early Dismissal: Wayne County (3 hours early).

Forecast Details

A strong line of storms is expected to move across the area Monday afternoon and evening.

Predictions include:

• Widespread damaging winds potentially exceeding 75 mph.
• A 15% to 30% chance of strong tornadoes and large hail.

Weather System and Timeline

The severe weather is driven by a strong cold front, with thunderstorms anticipated throughout Monday. The eastern Piedmont, Sandhills, and Coastal Plain regions are at the highest risk.

Rain chances will increase Sunday night, with storms possible before 1 a.m. Temperatures are expected to remain in the low 60s overnight.

On Monday, highs may reach 70 degrees before the front. South winds could gust up to 36 mph even without thunderstorms, and rainfall totals might reach three-quarters of an inch.

Storm activity is projected to decrease late Monday night as colder air arrives, dropping lows to around 31 degrees with west winds gusting to 32 mph. Isolated showers could persist into early Tuesday.