692  
FXUS62 KILM 232342  
AFDILM  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC  
735 PM EDT SAT MAY 23 2026  
   
WHAT HAS CHANGED
 
 
UPDATED AVIATION SECTION FOR 18Z TAFS.  
 

 
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
1) SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS POSSIBLE EACH DAY OVER THE NEXT  
WEEK, BRINGING WELCOMED RAINFALL.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
KEY MESSAGE 1...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS POSSIBLE EACH DAY OVER  
THE NEXT WEEK, BRINGING WELCOMED RAINFALL.  
 
BERMUDA HIGH PRESSURE STICKS AROUND THROUGH AT LEAST WEDNESDAY.  
AMPLE MOISTURE GETS PUSHED IN THROUGHOUT MOST OF THE WORK WEEK,  
ALLOWING PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES TO LINGER IN THE 1.8-2.0" RANGE.  
SEABREEZE CONVECTION WILL GET TRIGGERED EACH AFTERNOON, GRADUALLY  
PUSHING INLAND BY THE EVENING AND THEN EVENTUALLY FALLING DOWN INTO  
THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. SHOWERS AND STORMS COULD BE AIDED AT TIMES BY  
SHORTWAVES SPINNING OFF OF THE BERMUDA RIDGE. THIS CREATES A MORE  
FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR RAINFALL TOTALS UP TO 2-3 INCHES, LOCALLY  
HIGHER AMOUNTS LIKELY IN SOME SPOTS. WHILE THIS PATTERN IS NOT A  
DROUGHT BUSTER, IT CERTAINLY LOOKS LIKE THE MOST FAVORABLE PATTERN  
WE'VE SEEN IN MONTHS. A DROUGHT "DENTER," PERHAPS.  
 
RAINFALL COULD BE SLIGHTLY LESS WIDESPREAD TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY,  
WITH SOME DRIER AIR TRYING TO SLIP INTO THE MID-LEVELS. THIS GAP  
CLOSES BACK IN THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AHEAD OF THE NEXT FRONTAL  
SYSTEM.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /00Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/
 
 
A FRONTAL BOUNDARY STALLED OVER INLAND ZONES IN THE PRESENCE OF HIGH  
MOISTURE CONTENT BOTH BOUND TO KEEP THE FORECAST PERIOD QUITE  
ACTIVE. THIS WILL MEAN THAT MOST OF THE PERIOD WILL AT LEAST FEATURE  
PROB30 GROUPS FOR SHOWERS AND STORMS. THE EXCEPTION WILL BE THE  
EARLY PART OF TONIGHT WHERE THE COAST REMAINS MOSTLY RAIN-FREE EVEN  
AS FLO AND LBT DEAL WITH SHOWERS LINGERING (PROBABLY NO STORMS  
THOUGH) AS INSTABILITY IS SLOW TO WANE AND THE FRONT IS MUCH CLOSER  
TO THE INLAND AIRPORTS. VSBY RESTRICTIONS (ALBEIT MINOR) RETURN LATE  
TONIGHT ALONG THE COAST AS CONVERGENCE-BORNE SHOWERS MOVE ASHORE.  
THIS ACTIVITY WILL INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND STRENGTH (AND THUS VSBY  
LOWERING) AS SUNDAY PROGRESSES, AND INCREASINGLY SO INLAND AS THE  
SEABREEZE AND FRONTAL CONVERGENCE MAXIMIZE BY AFTERNOON.  
 
EXTENDED FORECAST...MODERATE TO HIGH CONFIDENCE IN AT LEAST MVFR  
CIGS (AND TO A LESSER EXTENT VSBYS) EACH MORNING (MAINLY IN THE 08Z-  
12Z TIMEFRAME AT KLBT/KFLO), AS WELL AS FROM SHOWERS/STORMS (MAINLY  
IN THE AFTN/EVE).  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
 
THROUGH SUNDAY...HIGH CONFIDENCE IN MAINLY BENIGN, SUMMER-LIKE  
CONDITIONS DUE TO PREVAILING BERMUDA HIGH PRESSURE. SOUTHERLY WINDS  
WILL MOSTLY BE 15 KT OR LESS, GENERALLY HIGHEST EASTERN/OFFSHORE  
PORTIONS NEAR THE GULF STREAM AND CLOSER TO THE COAST DUE TO THE  
AFTN/EVE SEA BREEZE. WAVES WILL MAINLY CONSIST OF 3-5 FOOT SOUTHEAST  
SWELLS.  
 
SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY...GENTLE TO MODERATE BREEZE OUT  
OF THE SSW OVER THE COASTAL WATERS OUT 20 NM, MORE OF A MODERATE  
TO FRESH BREEZE OVER THE OFFSHORE WATERS OUT 60 NM, VEER  
SLIGHTLY TO THE SW TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. SEAS REMAIN LOCKED IN  
AT 2-4 FT OVER THE COASTAL WATERS, 4-5 FT OVER THE OFFSHORE  
WATERS (SANS A FEW 6 FOOTERS SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING).  
OUTSIDE OF WIND WAVES, LOOK FOR THE MAIN SE SWELL AT 6-8  
SECONDS, AND THEN A SECONDARY ENE SWELL AT 8-10 SECONDS.  
 

 
   
ILM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
NC...NONE.  
SC...NONE.  
MARINE...NONE.  
 

 
 

 
 
WHAT HAS CHANGED...ILM  
KEY MESSAGES...IGB  
DISCUSSION...IGB  
AVIATION...RJB  
MARINE...RJB/IGB  
 
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