Happy Friday! We’ve entered the home stretch of March, and warm weather awaits us before we turn the page into April. Highs will cruise near 80° this Friday afternoon, aided by abundant sunshine and stiff southwesterly winds. While temperatures end up in a similar neighborhood on Saturday, mor e clouds will build in from the west as a tropical ridge of high pressure loosens its grip on the southeast. Rain chances will begin to arrive from the same direction the clouds came from by Sunday afternoon, although the bulk of the moisture won’t arrive until Monday. In case you haven’t noticed, we desperately need the rain. Burn bans remain in place across the Carolinas indefinitely as multiple large wildfires continue to scorch thousands of acres across the two states. Monday will hopefully put a dent in our drought, but we’ll also want to watch out for severe storms on March’s final day. Drier conditions return for April Fools’ Day on Tuesday, but the back half of the week looks to continue an unsettled trend. Today: Mostly sunny. Warm. High: 80°. Wind: SW 5-15. Gusts: 20+ Tonight: Comfy. Clouds build late. Low: 57°. Wind: SW 5-15. Saturday: Increasing clouds. Remaining warm. High: 80°. Wind: SW 10-20. Gusts: 25+ Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy. Mild. Low: 61°. Wind: S 5-10. Sunday: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers and storms later in the day. High: 74°. Wind: SW 5-15. Gusts: 20+ ...read more read less