Car Accident Injury Attorneys in Fayetteville, NC

Fayetteville seems to have shaken off the wintertime blahs, at least for the time being.

Wednesday's high topped 80 degrees for the first time this year, and we've got a couple more warm days ahead. For those keeping track, 2025 was only the third year in the last decade that Fayetteville didn't hit 80 degrees at least once in February.

Of course, that means the annual onslaught of pollen has been delayed a bit as well. But look for maple, oak and juniper to be assaulting our sinuses in the days to come.

In addition, another strong storm system is expected to reach the Cape Fear region, most likely on Sunday. The Storm Prediction Center has placed the region at a Level 2 risk, primarily for strong winds on Sunday.

Here's the setup

Temperatures across the Carolinas will be a touch cooler today and Friday, thanks to a weak frontal boundary lingering over the region. We'll see highs in the upper 70s with lows in the low 50s.

The weekend

If you have any outdoor plans, it's best to make them for Saturday. Sunday looks rough, with strong winds and showers likely.

Saturday will be partly cloudy and breezy with some stout southerly winds. Temperatures will climb back to near 80, and there's a slight chance of isolated light showers across the region. Lows will hold in the mid-60s.

Sunday has the makings of a rough day. An impressively strong low-pressure system will slide east from the Midwest toward Canada during the day, pulling a potent frontal boundary over the Carolinas. The anticipated dynamics of this system will bring potent winds from the lower jet stream very close to the surface. Any storms that tap into this jet will be capable of producing damaging winds.

The timing and speed of this system aren't certain yet. A faster system reduces the amount of rain, and daytime temperatures could vary, as well. Right now, it looks like highs will reach the low to mid-70s, with wind gusts up to 40 mph likely.

Next week

Things settle down overnight, leaving the Cape Fear region calmer and cooler to start the work week. Fayetteville may see some lingering showers, with a high of about 65 on Monday. The region will be climbing back into the 70s on Tuesday and near 80 Wednesday, ahead of another potential system later in the week.

Lows stay well above freezing, so maybe — just maybe — it's safe to plant the garden.

Keep an umbrella handy Sunday, and have a great weekend!

Got a weather question? Chick Jacobs can be reached at [email protected] of NCWeatherhound on X/Twitter or BlueSky.

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ACC

Fayetteville Observer

N.C. State basketball is moving on from head coach Kevin Keatts, the Wolfpack announced Sunday morning.

Keatts spent eight seasons in Raleigh, compiling an overall record of 151-113 with the Wolfpack, finishing 69-84 in ACC play. His teams earned three NCAA Tournament bids, including an ACC Tournament championship and a Final Four run last season.

With NIL and revenue sharing becoming priorities at the college level, the financial commitment from N.C. State and athletics director Boo Corrigan are also major factors as the Wolfpack attempts to land a head coach.

The transfer portal opens March 24, following the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, meaning N.C. State would likely want to have a coach in place soon to begin the process of rebuilding the roster ahead of the 2025-26 season.

So who will replace Keatts as the new coach at N.C. State? With Keatts fired in Raleigh, here are 10 candidates to be N.C. State’s next head coach.

Will Wade, McNeese coach

Probably the top target on this list, Wade is wrapping up a two-season stretch at McNeese that saw him lead the Cowboys to a 55-10 record. The team is on a nine-game winning streak entering the Southland Conference Tournament. Last season, Wade led McNeese to 30 wins and an NCAA Tournament berth. Prior to his time with the Cowboys, Wade led LSU and VCU to the March Madness, including a run to the Sweet 16 with the Tigers in 2019.

Justin Gainey, Tennessee associate head coach

A High Point native and N.C. State alum, Gainey should be another priority for the Wolfpack as the associate head coach at Tennessee. Gainey has been alongside Rick Barnes at Tennessee since 2021, but he was at N.C. State from 2006-09 under Herb Sendek and Sidney Lowe. A proven recruiter nationally and defensive-minded coach with ties throughout North Carolina, Gainey spent time at Elon, Appalachian State and Marquette before joining the Volunteers. He played for the Wolfpack from 1996-2000 under Sendek. He was a team captain in his final season, averaging 8.6 points and 2.8 assists.

Tony Skinn, George Mason coach

A player on George Mason’s Final Four team in 2006, Skinn has led the Patriots to a 44-19 record in his first two seasons as head coach. Duke, one of the favorites to win the 2025 national championship, was limited to 68 points in its win against George Mason earlier this season. Only Wake Forest, which allowed 63 points in a loss to Duke, had a better defensive showing against the Blue Devils. Skinn has George Mason in the mix for a March Madness bid as a contender in the A-10. He also spent time as an assistant at several high-major programs, including Seton Hall, Ohio State and Maryland.

Richard Pitino Jr., New Mexico coach

The Keatts connection to Louisville and Rick Pitino could hurt the chances of this happening, but Richard Pitino is closing in on his second NCAA Tournament berth in as many years at New Mexico. Following a 13-19 season in his debut year with the Lobos, Pitino has led the program to three straight 20-win seasons. With 51 regular-season wins over the last two years, New Mexico is enjoying its best stretch since 2013-14. Pitino previously coached at Minnesota, where he led the Golden Gophers to a pair of March Madness appearances in eight seasons.

Ryan Odom, VCU coach

One of the hottest names on the market, Odom is more likely to go to Virginia if offered that opening. But you have to make the call if you’re N.C. State. Odom, VCU’s coach, was a high-major assistant at Virginia Tech before leading UMBC to its historic upset of Virginia in the 2018 NCAA Tournament. He also led Utah State to the NCAA Tournament and has VCU poised for another run at securing an automatic bid before Selection Sunday. His father, Dave Odom, was a longtime coach at Wake Forest.

Ben McCollum, Drake coach

As a coach from Big Ten country, this might be a stretch, but McCollum is one of the hottest names in the mix for a high-major job. Before arriving at Drake, McCollum led Division II Northwest Missouri State to four national championships. He brought some of those players with him to Drake, where he’s close to leading the program to an NCAA Tournament berth.

Alan Huss, High Point coach

Huss is 55-14 in two seasons at High Point, making the Panthers the premier program in the Big South. The fastest coach in conference history to reach 50 wins, Huss just received a contract extension from High Point. Still, where there's a will, there's a way. Huss was an assistant coach at Creighton and spent time at New Mexico before joining the Blue Jays.

Julius Hodge, Lincoln (Pa.) coach

The 2004 ACC Player of the Year at N.C. State, Hodge was an All-American standout for the Wolfpack under Herb Sendek. After three seasons at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Hodge just completed his debut season as a head coach at Division II Lincoln (Pa.), which finished with an 18-12 record. The New York native has previous experience as an assistant coach at San Jose State and Santa Clara, where he was coaching alongside Sendek.

Bob Richey, Furman coach

After beating Virginia in the first round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament, it looked like Richey was ready to make the leap to the power-conference level. The Paladins have won 69% of their games under Richey, who led the program to 20 or more wins in six of his eight seasons. Following a 17-16 record in 2024, Furman has 24 wins this season under Richey.

Archie Miller, Rhode Island coach

A guard at N.C. State from 1998-2002, Miller was an assistant coach for the Wolfpack from 2004-06 under Sendek. He has head coaching experience at Dayton, Indiana and now Rhode Island. It’s been a rocky road with the Rams, who had a losing record in Miller’s first two seasons, but Miller has seen progress, posting an 18-12 record this season for the program’s first winning campaign since 2020. Sean Miller, Archie’s brother, is the coach at Xavier, but Archie is the more likely candidate if State wanted to go the Miller route.

Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to[email protected].

(Editor's note: See Tuesday's story with updated information here.)

Forecasters are predicting the Fayetteville area may see another winter storm with a potential for freezing rain, snow or ice if the track continues.

"Confidence is increasing that a winter storm will affect central NC Wednesday through Wednesday night, with lingering impacts through the rest of the week," according to the National Weather Service in Raleigh.

An area of low pressure is expected to track from the deep South and far northern Gulf into the western Atlantic and off the North Carolina coast from Wednesday morning into early Thursday morning, the NWS said.

"Uncertainty remains high in regards to the overall track and intensity of this system. A further south track will bring more snow to the region, while a further north track will favor a greater probability of a mixture of sleet, freezing rain and snow," the NWS 8 a.m. briefing said Monday.

Areas along and east of the U.S. 1 corridor have the best chance to see moderate impacts from ice accumulation.

The eventual track of the storm will determine the overall location and amount of ice potential, the NWS said.

Chick Jacobs, who writes the weekly Weather Permitting column for The Fayetteville Observer, said on his NCWeatherhound X page that the storm in our area should start as rain and then turn to sleet.

"Mid-levels will need to cool considerably (like 3-5 degrees) to turn over to snow," Jacobs said about 10 a.m. Monday.

The NWS predicts low pressure will be centered near New Orleans as of Wednesday morning, move over Florida Wednesday afternoon, and then move northeast along the coastline of the Carolinas on Wednesday night into Thursday morning.

"There is still a great deal of uncertainty as to precipitation type. All precipitation types are expected to occur somewhere across the forecast area. Compared to the previous forecast, one primary change is that the warm nose appears strong enough to produce a larger area of sleet along and south of US-64 to the west of Interstate 40 on Wednesday," according to the early Monday forecast discussion.

Conditions are good right now. Around 4 pm will bring the best weather for running. Have a comfortable run.

Today's Forecast Details

Precipitation

40%

Feels Like

59°

Air Quality

42 - Good

Wind Speed

15 mph

Pollen

High

N.C. State basketball coach Kevin Keatts has been fired, Wolfpack athletics director Boo Corrigan announced Sunday morning.

Keatts led the Wolfpack to an ACC Tournament championship and Final Four run in 2024, but the Wolfpack had a 12-19 record this season. N.C. State, which posted a 5-15 mark in the ACC and did not qualify for the ACC Tournament, was 0-11 in road games.

“I want to thank Coach Keatts for his contributions to NC State and for always representing the university with class,” Corrigan said in a school-issued statement.

“He will always have a treasured place in Wolfpack history for the accomplishments of his 2023-24 squad and I appreciate the passion he brought to this role. We wish him and his family the best in the future.”

Keatts, who just finished his eighth season at NC State, posted an overall record of 151-113 with the Pack, finishing 69-84 in ACC play. His teams earned three NCAA Tournament bids during his time in Raleigh.

The Wolfpack lost 13 of their final 16 games this season, with a nine-game losing streak at one point. N.C. State ended its season Saturday with a 72-70 loss at Miami, which finished at the bottom of the ACC standings.

"I am extremely proud of what we accomplished during my time here," Keatts wrote in a social media post.

"... As we enter this new era of college sports, I wholeheartedly believe that I am leaving the program in better position to succeed than when I started — and that the basketball program will continue to thrive when supported to the level necessary to compete."

Keatts wrapped up his post by saying he was "officially entering the portal."

The Wolfpack said a national search for the next head coach will begin immediately.

Kevin Keatts buyout

With the Wolfpack firing Keatts, N.C. State owes him a buyout of $7.8 million. The Wolfpack's ACC Tournament title and Final Four run in 2024 added a two-year contract extension, which meant Keatts was extended through the 2029-30 season. If Keatts finds another coaching position, N.C .State will have part of its obligation offset by his new salary. Factoring in the salaries of assistant coaches, the Wolfpack will likely be on the hook for close to $10 million.

Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to[email protected].