New projections from the National Weather Service suggest the effects of Hurricane Florence may be delayed in the Piedmont Triad, though bad weather is still on the way.
That doesn't mean the storm will pass the region by. Florence is still massive, still charging toward North Carolina, and still expected to affect the Piedmont, which means residents should continue to prepare and be vigilant.
But the modeling systems used by the National Weather Service are having a hard time getting exact targets on the storm's timeline and where it will go once it makes landfall.
According to NWS Raleigh meteorologist Scott Sharp, the latest forecasts suggest Florence could stall for a time over the coast once it arrives, delaying the heaviest rains expected in the Triad.
“Now, that being said – and the system does eventually move more toward the west – we'll probably see increasing chances for heavy to torrential downpours as we go from Saturday into Sunday, Sunday into Monday, and possibly into Tuesday,” Sharp says.
The National Weather Service now expects anywhere between a half inch to 2 inches of rain in the Piedmont between now and Saturday, before the skies really open up.
Residents can find more information on the North Carolina's preparation and recovery plans – as well as what should go into a home readiness kit – on the web or by using the Ready NC app.