Weekend weather: Smell azaleas

Now that we've hit spring I'm picking destinations for weekend getaways based on the weather forecast.  It doesn't hurt that the weather will be great this weekend — from Manteo to Murphy!

We had the threat of severe weather this morning but our atmosphere ended up being too stable to produce any strong thunderstorms. It will be a very windy day however as a cold front blows through. We have a Wind Advisory in effect from 9am until 9pm for our viewing area. Gusts will range from 30 to 40mph. We could see a few small trees down and perhaps scattered power outages. Beyond that it will make for an unpleasant day to be outside even though the temperatures will be mild. We've got a gorgeous weekend on the way however. High pressure moves into the area tonight. Winds will die down and sunshine will rule. Highs will be in the low to mid 70s.

That great forecast holds true for the Wilmington area, and there's no question that this weekend's pick is the NC Azalea Festival. It's an annual event in Wilmington that runs through this weekend. The city is stunning this time of year with so many flowers blooming.