361
FXUS62 KILM 122309
AFDILM
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
709 PM EDT THU MAR 12 2026
WHAT HAS CHANGED
AVIATION DISCUSSION UPDATED FOR THE 0Z TAFS.
KEY MESSAGES
1) MUCH COLDER AND DRIER WEATHER WILL CONTINUE TO ARRIVE BEHIND A
STRONG COLD FRONT THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT.
2) A STRONG COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT WILL
BRING ANOTHER SHARP COOLDOWN THROUGH MID NEXT WEEK.
DISCUSSION
KEY MESSAGE 1...MUCH COLDER AND DRIER WEATHER WILL CONTINUE
TO ARRIVE BEHIND A STRONG COLD FRONT THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT.
A GOOD 20 TO 30 DEGREE TEMPERATURE DROP WILL TAKE PLACE BY THIS
EVENING ACROSS MUCH OF THE CAROLINAS AS PLENTY OF DRY AND COLD AIR
MOVES IN BEHIND EXITING COLD FRONT. PCP WATER VALUES UP AROUND 1.5
INCHES AHEAD OF FRONT WILL DROP TO LESS THAN A QUARTER OF AN INCH BY
THIS EVENING. TEMPS WILL BE DOWN IN THE 40S BY THIS EVENING ACROSS
THE AREA AND DOWN IN THE MID 30S MOST PLACES FOR LOWS. SKIES WILL
CLEAR AND WINDS WILL DROP THROUGH THE NIGHT AS HIGH PRESSURE
MIGRATES OVERHEAD, AND ANY WIND SHELTERED SPOTS COULD SEE TEMPS DROP
BELOW FREEZING. FROST IS ALSO POSSIBLE IN SPOTS.
KEY MESSAGE 2...A STRONG COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE MONDAY AND MONDAY
NIGHT WILL BRING ANOTHER SHARP COOLDOWN THROUGH MID NEXT WEEK.
A BIG CHANGE IN THE WEATHER PATTERN IS EXPECTED STARTING MONDAY AS
AN ANOMOLOUSLY STRONG DEEP UPPER TROUGH DEVELOPS TO THE WEST AROUND
THE MS VALLEY AND THEN SHIFTS EASTWARD THROUGH MID WEEK, ALBEIT IN A
WEAKENING STATE. TEMPERATURES WILL GO FROM ABOVE NORMAL MONDAY TO
BELOW NORMAL MON NIGHT AND STAY THAT WAY THROUGH THURSDAY. THERE
LOOKS TO BE A VERY LOW RISK FOR A LIGHT FREEZE WELL INLAND MON
NIGHT, WITH A BETTER RISK FOR A WIDESPREAD FREEZE TUE NIGHT. TEMPS
SHOULD BE A BIT WARMER WED NIGHT BUT STILL IN THE MID 30S WITH SOME
FROST POTENTIAL. NOTE THAT OUR LOCAL FROST/FREEZE PROGRAM DOES NOT
TYPICALLY START UNTIL MAR 21 SO UNLESS THAT CHANGES WE WILL NOT BE
ISSUING ANY FROST/FREEZE HEADLINES THROUGH THIS PERIOD.
AVIATION /00Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/
THE LAST OF THE LOW LEVEL STRATUS IS CLEARING OUT OF SOUTHEAST
NC, WITH VFR CONDITIONS AREA WIDE FOR THE 0Z TAF PERIOD. THERE
IS A LOW CHANCE OF MVFR VISIBILITIES FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS FOR
INLAND SE NC TERMINALS NEAR MORNING, BUT CONFIDENCE IS LOW DUE
TO LINGERING WINDS AND DRY AIR JUST ABOVE THE SURFACE AND
THEREFORE HAVE KEPT OUT OF KLBT TAF. NORTHERLY GUSTS UP TO
20-25 KTS WILL LINGER FOR A COUPLE MORE HOURS AT COASTAL
TERMINALS BEFORE WINDS BECOME LIGHT TONIGHT AS HIGH PRESSURE
QUICKLY BUILDS IN. WINDS BECOME SOUTHEASTERLY FRIDAY MORNING,
CONTINUING TO VEER THROUGHOUT THE DAY WITH SSW WINDS FORECASTED
BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON AROUND 10-15 KTS.
EXTENDED FORECAST...VFR IS EXPECTED FRIDAY THROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF
THE WEEKEND. FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS ARE POSSIBLE DUE TO INCREASING RAIN
CHANCES SUN INTO MON AS THE NEXT FRONTAL SYSTEM AFFECTS THE
AREA.
MARINE
THROUGH FRIDAY...TIGHTENED GRADIENT FLOW AND CAA WILL KEEP GALE
CONDITIONS ONGOING THROUGH LATE THIS EVENING AS COLD FRONT MOVES
THROUGH. SW WINDS AHEAD OF THE FRONT WILL GUST TO 35 KTS OR SO AND
WILL CONTINUE WITH N WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT INTO THIS EVENING. WINDS
WILL DIMINISH AND CONTINUE TO VEER TO THE N AND THEN E AS HIGH
PRESSURE MOVES CLOSER OVERHEAD. SEAS UP TO 4 TO 7 FT WITH A FEW 8
FTERS IN THE OUTER WATERS WILL DIMINISH AS WINDS DROP OFF OVERNIGHT
TONIGHT. BY FRI SEAS WILL BE DOWN TO 2 TO 4 FT WITH WINDS BECOMING
ONSHORE 15 KTS OR LESS.
FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...NO BIG CHANGES TO THE PREVIOUS
FORECAST WITH MODERATE CONFIDENCE THROUGH THE PERIOD. HIGH PRESSURE
WILL GIVE WAY TO A STRONG COLD FRONT LATE MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE FROM LATE SUNDAY INTO
EARLY TUESDAY. THERE IS ALSO A LOW RISK FOR GALE FORCE GUSTS,
ESPECIALLY MONDAY/MONDAY NIGHT.
ILM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
NC...NONE.
SC...NONE.
MARINE...GALE WARNING UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT TONIGHT FOR AMZ250-252-254-256.
WHAT HAS CHANGED...ILM
KEY MESSAGES...RJB/RGZ
DISCUSSION...RJB/RGZ
AVIATION...VAO
MARINE...RJB/RGZ
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