300  
FXUS62 KMHX 262229  
AFDMHX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC  
629 PM EDT FRI JUL 26 2024  
   
SYNOPSIS
 
 
A COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO SINK SOUTH THROUGH THE AREA  
THIS EVENING, MOVING OFFSHORE TONIGHT. HIGH PRESSURE THEN  
BUILDS IN FROM THE NORTH SUNDAY AND MONDAY.  
 

 
   
NEAR TERM /TONIGHT/
 
 
AS OF 630 PM FRIDAY...  
 
- LOCALIZED HEAVY RAIN/FLOODING RISK CONTINUES INTO EARLY THIS  
EVENING  
 
THE COLD FRONT APPEARS TO BE STALLED OVER THE CRYSTAL COAST  
EARLY THIS EVENING, GRADUALLY MOVING SOUTH OF THE AREA IN THE  
NEXT FEW HOURS. PW'S CONTINUE WELL ABOVE 2" TODAY AND WITH  
UPPER LEVEL DIVERGENCE DUE TO THE RIGHT ENTRANCE REGION  
PROVIDING AMPLE LIFT FOR SHOWERS AND ISO THUNDERSTORMS WITH  
TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS, ESPECIALLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 70  
AND OVER THE SOUTH/CENTRAL COASTAL WATERS. HEAVIEST RAIN NOW  
OFFSHORE MAY IMPACT THE CRYSTAL COAST OVER THE NEXT HOUR OR TWO.  
THINK THIS CURRENT ACTIVITY SHOULD BEGIN TO WEAKEN AND DECREASE  
IN COVERAGE AROUND 00Z WITH THE LOSS OF HEATING. WILL ALLOW  
FLOOD WATCH TO EXPIRE AT 7 PM, WITH THE THREAT BECOMING MUCH  
MORE LOCALIZED.  
 
OVERNIGHT THERE IS A QUESTION OF HOW SOON THE DRY AIR MAKES IT  
TO THE COAST. INLAND, DRIER AIR FILTERS IN LATE THIS EVENING AND  
OVERNIGHT WITH VERY LITTLE NO SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION EXPECTED  
AFTER MIDNIGHT. ALONG THE SOUTHEAST COAST TO THE SOUTHERN OUTER  
BANKS HOWEVER, THE FORECAST BECOMES MORE MURKY AS AN AREA OF  
LOW PRESSURE IS FORECAST TO DEVELOP ALONG THE FRONT WHICH WILL  
BE JUST SOUTH OF OUR AREA. SOME OF THE GUIDANCE IS INDICATING  
THAT ANOTHER AREA OF SHOWERS/POSSIBLE THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING  
LATE THIS EVENING INTO EARLY SAT MORNING. THEREFORE WILL HAVE  
HIGH CHANCE-LOW LIKELY POPS IN THESE AREAS FOR MUCH OF TONIGHT.  
 
WIDESPREAD LOW CLOUDS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AFTER MIDNIGHT IN  
THE STILL MOIST LOW LEVEL EASTERLY FLOW. COULD SEE PATCHY FOG AS  
WELL BUT THINK THERE WILL BE ENOUGH MIXING AND CLOUD COVER TO  
INHIBIT WIDESPREAD DENSE FOG. LOWS WILL BE IN THE LOW TO MID  
70S.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM /SATURDAY/
 
 
AS OF 345 PM FRIDAY...WILL RELUCTANTLY HOLD ON TO A LOW CHANCE  
POP IMMEDIATE COAST SAT MORNING IN CASE THE WETTER GUIDANCE IS  
CORRECT, BUT OVERALL EXPECT PLEASANT SUMMER DAY WITH LOWER  
HUMIDITY AS DEWPOINTS DROP INTO THE 60S FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A  
LONG TIME WITH NE FLOW PREVAILING. THE MORNING IS EXPECTED TO  
START OUT CLOUDY THEN EXPECT AFTERNOON SUNSHINE WITH PLEASANT  
HIGHS IN THE LOW TO MID 70S.  
 

 
   
LONG TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/
 
 
AS OF 315 AM FRI...DRIER PATTERN SETS UP FOR THE WEEKEND BEFORE  
RETURNING TO A MORE TYPICAL SUMMERTIME PATTERN OF SCATTERED,  
DIURNALLY DRIVEN SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE NEXT WORK  
WEEK.  
 
SAT NIGHT THROUGH MON...UPPER TROUGH WILL DEPART OFF THE  
EASTERN SEABOARD, EVENTUALLY LEAVING BEHIND A CUTOFF LOW OFF THE  
COAST OF THE MID-ATLANTIC, WHICH WILL RETREAT BACK INTO NEW  
ENGLAND TO START THE WEEK. THE SURFACE COLD FRONT WILL BE  
OFFSHORE AT THE SURFACE AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN ITS WAKE,  
STICKING AROUND ONLY FOR THE WEEKEND BEFORE MOVING BACK OVER THE  
ATLANTIC ON MONDAY. DRY CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL AS DRY AIR AND  
SUBSIDENCE SPILL OVER THE CAROLINAS THANKS TO NORTHERLY FLOW  
ALOFT. CONDITIONS WILL FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE COMPARED TO THE  
PAST SEVERAL DAYS AS DEW POINTS DROP INTO THE LOW TO MID-60S,  
ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE COASTAL PLAIN, WHILE HIGHS TOP OUT IN THE  
MID TO UPPER 80S - SLIGHTLY BELOW AVERAGE FOR LATE JULY. MUGGIER  
CONDITIONS HOLD STRONG ALONG THE COAST.  
 
TUES THROUGH THUR...ANY SEMBLANCE OF RIDGING ALOFT BREAKS DOWN  
AFTER MONDAY AS THE CUTOFF LOW CONTINUES TO MEANDER WESTWARD  
BEFORE BEING ABSORBED BY THE NORTHERN STREAM SHORTWAVE. THIS  
WILL LEAVE A GENERAL TROUGHING PATTERN OVER THE EASTERN CONUS  
FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK, MEANING MOIST SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW  
RETURNS ALONG WITH A MORE TYPICAL SUMMERTIME REGIME  
CHARACTERIZED BY DIURNALLY DRIVEN SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.  
SUPPORT ALOFT WILL NOT BE NEARLY AS STRONG, AND MOISTURE NOT AS  
ANOMALOUS AS THE PREVIOUS SEVERAL DAYS, SO CLIMO POPS ARE  
APPROPRIATE FOR ENC STARTING TUESDAY. MID-LEVEL HEIGHTS RISE  
ABOVE AVERAGE, AND TEMPERATURES GRADUALLY FOLLOW SUIT,  
INCREASING TO NEAR-NORMAL READINGS IN THE LOW 90S BY THE END OF  
THE PERIOD.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /22Z FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/
 
 
SHORT TERM /THROUGH SATURDAY/...  
AS OF 630 PM FRIDAY...  
 
- WIDESPREAD IFR/MVFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED THROUGH EARLY SAT  
 
CURRENTLY A MIX OF MVFR AND VFR ACROSS THE TERMINALS. THE  
SHOWER ACTIVITY SHOULD DISSIPATE BY MIDNIGHT THEN MOIST EASTERLY  
FLOW BEHIND THE COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO RESULT IN THE  
DEVELOPMENT OF WIDESPREAD IFR CEILINGS AFTER MIDNIGHT. SOME  
PATCHY FOG IS ALSO POSSIBLE BUT IS NOT EXPECTED TO BE  
WIDESPREAD. THE LOW CLOUDS ARE FORECAST TO PERSIST UNTIL LATE  
SAT MORNING THEN DRIER AIR FILTERING IN WILL MIX THEM OUT WITH A  
RETURN TO VFR CONDITIONS BETWEEN 15-18Z.  
 
LONG TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...  
AS OF 320 AM FRO...PRIMARILY VFR CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST FROM  
SUN INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK AS HIGH PRESSURE SETTLES INTO THE AREA.  
FOG AND LOW STRATUS ARE POSSIBLE EACH NIGHT, ALTHOUGH THE  
LIKELIHOOD IS HIGHER STARTING TUESDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE MOVES  
OFFSHORE AND DEEPER MOISTURE RETURNS.  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
 
SHORT TERM /THROUGH SATURDAY/...  
AS OF 630 PM FRIDAY...  
 
- THUNDERSTORM RISK CONTINUES INTO TONIGHT  
 
- POSSIBLE SCA CONDITIONS SAT AFTERNOON INTO SAT NIGHT FOR THE  
SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL WATERS  
 
A COLD FRONT, CURRENTLY VICINITY OF CAPE LOOKOUT WILL MOVE  
SOUTH AND THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WATERS LATE THIS EVENING.  
ON SAT, LOW PRESSURE WILL DEVELOP ALONG THE FRONT EARLY THEN  
MOVE NE AWAY FROM THE WATERS IN THE AFTERNOON INTO EARLY  
EVENING. AHEAD OF THE FRONT OVER THE SOUTHERN WATERS LATE TODAY  
WINDS ARE SSW 10-15 KT WITH E WINDS 5-15 KT OCCURRING BEHIND  
THE FRONT OVER THE SOUNDS AND CENTRAL AND NORTHERN WATERS.  
TONIGHT WINDS ALL WATERS WILL BECOME NE 10-15 KT WITH SEAS  
AROUND 3 FT.  
 
THE MARINE WEATHER SAT WILL DEPEND ON THE STRENGTH AND TRACK OF  
THE DEVELOPING LOW WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR SCA CONDITIONS OVER  
THE SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL WATERS. SOME GUIDANCE HAS WINDS AS HIGH  
AS 20-25 KT (WITH SEAS 6-8 FT) WHILE THE MAJORITY OF THE MODELS  
INDICATE NE WINDS 15-20 KT AND SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. HAVE SIDED WITH  
THE MAJORITY SOLUTION AND HAVE CONDITIONS JUST BELOW ADVISORY  
CONDITIONS. WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR AND A SCA MAY NEED TO BE  
ISSUED IN SUBSEQUENT FORECASTS.  
 
LONG TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/...  
AS OF 320 AM FRI...NO HAZARDOUS MARINE CONDITIONS ARE  
ANTICIPATED IN THE LONG TERM. HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS BACK OVER  
THE WATERS BEHIND THE FRONT SAT NIGHT AND SUNDAY BEFORE QUICKLY  
MOVING OFFSHORE ON MONDAY, RESULTING IN WINDS RETURNING TO A  
MORE TYPICAL SOUTH- TO- SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW TO START THE WORK  
WEEK. OUTSIDE OF THE NE SURGE BEHIND THE FRONT SAT EVENING,  
WINDS IN THE LONG TERM WILL REMAIN AROUND 5-10 KT, WITH TYPICAL  
INCREASES IN LATE AFTERNOONS AS THERMAL GRADIENTS INCREASE. SEAS  
PEAK AT 4-5 FEET ON SAT AND SUN BEFORE RETURNING TO 2-3 FEET ON  
MONDAY.  
 

 
   
HYDROLOGY
 
 
AS OF 630 PM FRIDAY...TODAY IS EXPECTED TO BE THE FINAL DAY  
WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR EXCESSIVE RAINFALL ACROSS ENC, AS A COLD  
FRONT MOVES THROUGH, AND FINALLY OFFSHORE, BY LATE TONIGHT.  
RAINFALL RATES IN EXCESS OF 1"/HR WILL BE SUPPORTIVE OF FLASH  
FLOODING TODAY, ESPECIALLY IN AREAS WHERE SOILS ARE MOST  
SUSCEPTIBLE, AND WHERE FFG VALUES ARE LOW. WILL ALLOW FLOOD  
WATCH TO EXPIRE EARLY THIS EVENING WITH HEAVY RAIN THREAT BEING  
MUCH MORE LOCALIZED. AFTER TODAY, ATTENTION THEN TURNS TO RIVER  
FLOODING, AS MAINSTEM RIVERS RESPOND TO ALL OF THE RAIN OVER  
THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS.  
 
A FLOOD WARNING IS CURRENTLY IN EFFECT FOR THE TRENT RIVER IN  
JONES COUNTY.  
 
STAY TUNED IN CASE ADDITIONAL RIVER FLOOD WARNINGS/PRODUCTS ARE  
NEEDED THROUGH THIS WEEKEND.  
 

 
   
MHX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
NC...FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 7 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR NCZ090>092-094-  
193>196-198-199-204-205.  
MARINE...NONE.  
 

 
 

 
SYNOPSIS...MHX  
NEAR TERM...JME/CQD  
SHORT TERM...JME  
LONG TERM...MS  
AVIATION...JME/CQD/MS  
MARINE...JME/CQD/MS  
HYDROLOGY...MHX  
 
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