Burlington Reporter

Town of Oak Ridge issued the following announcement on March 1.

Significant power outages are expected across the Carolinas Service Area this afternoon/evening due to 1) a severe weather threat late afternoon through the evening and 2) non-storm wind gusts up to 50 mph in the mountains/foothills and up to 45 mph from the Piedmont to Coastal Plain.  Additional isolated/scattered power outages are possible on Saturday morning across the Mountain Zone due to wind gusts up to 45 mph. Otherwise, weather-related outages are not expected on Saturday or Sunday.

A weak cold air damming pattern will prevail over the Carolinas today, with a stationary front over the region that gradually lifts northward through the day. Then, a strong cold front arrives from the west, bringing the possibility of severe weather. In the wake of the front, gusty winds across the region this afternoon/evening.  Dry and slightly cooler for the weekend.

Skies will be mostly cloudy through this afternoon. Showers will continue across northern NC through daybreak, but then only isolated/scattered showers are expected through late afternoon. A line of showers and thunderstorms will reach southwestern NC around 4pm and track eastward across the mountains/foothills late afternoon into early evening, reaching the I-77 corridor 8-9pm, then the I-95 corridor around 11pm and the coast around 1pm. There is a slight risk of severe thunderstorms along and west of I-77 (mainly due to the more favorable timing) with the primary threat being locally damaging wind gusts, though an isolated tornado cannot be ruled out. Best chances for severe weather will be south of I-40 where temperatures will be the warmest this afternoon.

In addition to the severe weather, gusty winds will develop across the region this afternoon and evening in association with the frontal passage. A wind advisory is in effect for the Mountain Zone from 1pm this afternoon through 10 am Saturday for wind gusts up to 55 mph. Across the Upstate Zone, the Central Zone and the Upper Pee Dee Zone, a wind advisory is in effect from 1pm this afternoon to 1am Saturday for wind gusts up to 45 mph. Additional wind advisories for the central and eastern Carolinas may be issued later in the day.  The gusty winds will develop across the Mountain Zone and Upstate Zone first and then spread eastward across the western piedmont.  Looks like the stronger gusts will reach the Charlotte and Triad regions 4pm-7pm and then the Raleigh and Fayetteville areas by 10pm. There is a potential for gusts up to 45 mph across the Carolinas-East region this evening through early Saturday morning, but given the timing after sunset, peak gusts may end up closer to 40 mph.  As a result of the gusty winds, significant power outages are anticipated area-wide this afternoon and evening.

In the wake of the cold front, dry and slightly cooler air arrives for the weekend.

EXTENDED FORECAST   

Dry weather continues into the start of next week but then a chance of rain showers returns on Tuesday and Wednesday.  High temps will be in the upper 60s and lower 70s on Monday, then middle and upper 70s on Tuesday before dropping back to the 60s on Wednesday and 50s on Thursday and Friday.

The long-range model guidance continues to indicate below normal temperatures across the Carolinas mid-month.

Original source can be found here.