national weather service

Durham’s weekend rain forecast rises as Isaias strengthens

Isaias could bring Durham 1 to 2 inches of rain, mainly late Saturday into Sunday morning. Rain may clear later Sunday, but the timing could still change.

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Durham’s weekend rain forecast rises as Isaias strengthens
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This story reflects the National Hurricane Center’s 5 a.m. EDT advisory and NWS Raleigh’s 6 a.m. forecast discussion Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026.

Durham could get 1 to 2 inches of rain this weekend as Hurricane Isaias moves inland from the Gulf Coast, with the wettest stretch expected late Saturday into Sunday morning.

The National Weather Service’s Thursday forecast raises the regional rainfall estimate from roughly an inch a day earlier. Showers should spread into central North Carolina late Saturday, Oct. 10, and continue overnight, with a few thunderstorms possible early Sunday.

There could be some improvement before the weekend ends. Forecasters expect rain to taper off quickly Sunday, with sunshine potentially returning later in the day. The timing isn’t settled enough to count on a dry afternoon.

NWS Raleigh listed no watches, warnings, or advisories in its 6 a.m. Thursday discussion.

However, the office’s hazardous weather outlook now includes the possibility of isolated severe weather Sunday over eastern portions of central North Carolina.

Isaias strengthened into a hurricane late Wednesday. In its 5 a.m. EDT Thursday advisory, the National Hurricane Center reported sustained winds of 80 mph. The storm was about 420 miles south-southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River, moving east-northeast at 9 mph.

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Forecasters expect Isaias to turn northeast Thursday, then north Friday, before making landfall along the northern Gulf Coast late Friday or early Saturday. Hurricane warnings extend from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to Florida’s Bay/Gulf county line.

The hurricane center’s forecast calls for sustained winds to reach about 110 mph early Friday over the Gulf. Some weakening is expected before landfall, but forecasters say Isaias will remain a dangerous hurricane as it reaches the coast.

Once inland, the weakening storm is expected to turn toward the Mississippi and Tennessee valleys. That projected path would keep its center well west of Durham, while rain spreads across the Carolinas.

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