LUMBERTON — The forecast leading up to the weekend is rain with a chance of flooding, and motorists should be careful when traveling in the wet conditions.

Rain is coming in Thursday and will linger into early Friday afternoon, said Mark Bacon, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Wilmington.

One to 2 inches of rain is expected to fall in the Lumberton area during Thursday and Friday, he said. The NWS weekend forecast calls for sunny skies, and no rain.

Since Jan. 1, the city has received 9.37 inches of rain, which is a little more than an inch higher than the 7.91 inches recorded at this time last year, he said. Historically, the normal amount of rainfall for the area is 4.5 inches during this time of year.

“You’re almost double that,” Bacon said.

Winter Storm Viola was moving through Texas on Wednesday and is expected to bring snow and frozen precipitation to northeastern states on Thursday. Places like Greensboro and Raleigh will receive frozen precipitation Thursday, according to Ari Sarsalari, a meteorologist with The Weather Channel.

Bacon said North Carolina is situated in an uncertain weather pattern, with cold weather “locked up where it is in the nation’s midsection” and warmer weather in the southeastern states. As those air masses with varying temperatures come in contact, more weather events will occur.

“Thursday and Friday we’re expecting thunderstorms,” said Stephanie Chavis, Robeson County Emergency Management director.

Trees falling into roadways because of the combination of high water table and storm winds are to be expected, she said.

Wind gusts on Thursday may be as high as 16 mph, and 15 mph on Friday, according to the NWS.

Chavis said she would be reaching out to local fire departments to make sure their chainsaws and other equipment were ready to be deployed ahead of the storms.

The Emergency Management director continued to monitor the weather Wednesday, and sent out morning alerts to local law enforcement and Emergency Medical Services to stay safe on roadways and report hazardous road conditions to her office.

“We’re monitoring, and the National Weather Service is keeping us posted since we do have Lumber River in our county,” Chavis said.

The Lumber River was at 18.7 feet Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. Its flood stage is 13 feet.

The river and surrounding area were under a flood warning Wednesday, and the river is expected to crest Saturday at 19.6 feet, according to the NWS.

“At 19.0 feet, Extensive flooding occurs along the river. Over 50 dwellings will be inundated or isolated due to the flood waters and several roads will be closed especially in the Pines area and Coxs Pond area. Carthage Road may be completely covered with water,” the NWS website reads in part.

Ponding on roadways and in the yards of homes could be seen Wednesday, but severe flooding in the county was not reported to Chavis.

The “first flood-related” road closure in the county was reported about 3 p.m. Wednesday at Old Lowery Road near Pearsall Road in both directions, near Red Springs, said Andrew Barksdale, Public Relations officer for the N.C. Department of Transportation. The department estimates the road can safely reopen Feb. 24.

As rain pours down and motorists continue their normal commutes to and from work, Chavis warns them not to cross flooded roads.

“We want to make sure that people turn around, don’t drown,” she said. “We don’t want people putting themselves in jeopardy.”

Any county resident concerned about flooding in their homes or whose property is damaged by downed trees during the storms on Thursday or Friday should call Emergency Management at 910-671-3150, she said.