Thunderstorms, hail, heavy rain possible for North Carolina on Easter Sunday

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Easter Sunday starts nice, then rain and storms arrive later in the day.

A potent upper-level low that has been hanging across southern California most of this past week will move out over the Rockies this weekend helping to drive a surface low across the central Plains. The weather looks dry and cool for Sunday morning with some sunshine early in the day, but clouds will increase by midday.

Those clouds will lower and thicken Sunday afternoon as a warm front approaches the region from the south. Moisture will be increasing from the south and west, and rain should spread out across the Carolinas during the afternoon and at night.

There could also be embedded thunderstorms, any of which can be strong to possibly severe with gusty winds, hail and heavy rainfall. We'll have a Level 2 risk for our western counties and a Level 1 risk for our eastern counties. Elsewhere in the south, the Mississippi Valley is looking at a Level 4 risk with a Level 3 risk extending into Georgia.

A few strong storms may linger early in the day on Monday, but the overall trend will be for drier air to return on Monday afternoon. Another flow of much cooler than normal air will follow for Monday night and Tuesday.