Much-needed rainfall expected to continue in Charlotte area

Parched gardens and lawns across much of the Charlotte area are getting some much-needed rain this weekend.

The rain is badly needed, as Charlotte is nearly 5 inches below normal for the year.

The National Weather Service said some of the storms Saturday night were producing rainfall rates of up to 2 inches an hour.

The showers and storms formed along and south of a cold front that had been stationary much of Saturday in an east-to-west line across North Carolina. South of the front, temperatures climbed into the upper 70s in Charlotte, Gastonia, Monroe, Lancaster, S.C., and Rock Hill.

It was a different story north of the front, where places like Salisbury, Statesville and Hickory were stuck in the low and mid-60s all day.

Another cold front, this one approaching from the west, is expected to trigger more showers and thunderstorms across the region on Sunday. Those storms are forecast to end by daybreak Monday.

Additional showers and thunderstorms are in the forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday, before drier and cooler weather moves in.

After nearly two weeks of above-average temperatures, the high Friday in Charlotte might struggle to hit 70 degrees.

Here are more details on what’s coming up in the Charlotte region over the next few days:

▪  Sunday: Another low pressure system and another cold front (this one approaching from the west) will bring a high chance of showers and thunderstorms, probably starting around noon and continuing until the late-night hours. Highs in the upper 70s.

▪  Monday: Showers and storms end in the morning, followed by partly cloudy skies.

▪  Rainfall: Many areas could get a half-inch to 1 inch, provided the front does not move south of Charlotte on Saturday.

▪  Wells Fargo golf tournament: A few periods of showers are expected Tuesday and Wednesday, along with cooler weather.

The forecast looks very good for the actual tournament, Thursday through next Sunday. It will be on the cool side Friday, with a high only reaching 70, but a rapid warmup is expected next weekend.

This story was originally published April 30, 2016 at 12:34 PM with the headline "Much-needed rainfall expected to continue in Charlotte area."