647  
FXUS62 KILM 212352  
AFDILM  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC  
652 PM EST FRI FEB 21 2025  
   
SYNOPSIS  
 
HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO BRING CHILLY WEATHER UNTIL ITS  
TRANSITION OFFSHORE LEADS TO A RETURN OF SEASONABLE TEMPERATURES  
SUNDAY. THE MIDWEEK PERIOD WILL CONTINUE TO WARM AND REMAIN  
RAIN-FREE. A COLD FRONT THURSDAY COULD BRING ISOLATED SHOWERS AS  
WELL AS A COOLDOWN FRIDAY.  
 
 
   
NEAR TERM /THROUGH SATURDAY/  
 
WEAK MID-LEVEL TROUGHING WILL MOVE OFFSHORE TONIGHT AND TRANSITION  
TO WEAK RIDGING EARLY TOMORROW. CONSIDERABLE SUBSIDENCE AND DRY AIR  
THROUGH MUCH OF THE ATMOSPHERIC COLUMN WILL MAKE FOR PRIMARILY CLEAR  
SKIES THROUGH TONIGHT. SOME THIN HIGH-LEVEL CIRRUS ARE EXPECTED TO  
PASS OVERHEAD DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, BUT LITTLE TO NO  
SENSIBLE WEATHER IMPACTS ARE EXPECTED FROM THESE. SURFACE HIGH  
PRESSURE WILL BUILD INTO THE PIEDMONT TONIGHT AND WEAKEN THE  
PRESSURE GRADIENT, RESULTING IN WINDS GOING LIGHT OR CALM THIS  
EVENING AND REMAINING THAT WAY THROUGH THE NIGHT. WITH VERY DRY AIR  
IN PLACE, MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES, AND CALM WINDS, EXCELLENT RADIATIONAL  
COOLING CONDITIONS ARE ON TAP, AND WILL SUPPORT VERY COLD OVERNIGHT  
LOWS, WITH MODERATE TO HIGH CONFIDENCE THAT THEY WILL END UP SIMILAR  
TO OR COLDER THAN LAST NIGHT. UPPER TEENS TO LOW 20S ARE FORECAST,  
WITH LOW-MID TEENS POSSIBLE IN NORMALLY COLDER SPOTS ACROSS THE CAPE  
FEAR REGION. DUE TO THE VERY LIMITED COVERAGE OF <15F LOWS AND  
VIRTUALLY NO WIND, A COLD WEATHER ADVISORY WILL NOT BE ISSUED FOR  
TONIGHT.  
 
ON SATURDAY, THE WEAK MID-LEVEL RIDGE AXIS WILL QUICKLY SHIFT  
EASTWARD DURING THE AFTERNOON AHEAD OF A RATHER POTENT SHORTWAVE  
TROUGH SHIFTING ACROSS THE MID-SOUTH. WITH LITTLE LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE  
AVAILABLE, NO SHOWER ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED DURING THE DAY.  
HOWEVER, DENSE HIGH CLOUDS WILL MAKE FOR AN OVERCAST SKY ACROSS  
MUCH OF THE REGION, MAINLY DURING THE AFTERNOON INTO THE EARLY  
EVENING. LOW- LEVEL MOISTURE RETURN OFF THE ATLANTIC MAY YIELD  
SCATTERED LOW CLOUDS LIFTING NORTHWARD DURING THE EVENING. HIGH  
TEMPS WILL BE LIMITED SOMEWHAT BY THE THICK HIGH CLOUD COVER,  
WITH TEMPS STRUGGLING TO REACH 50F ACROSS OUR NORTHERN TIER.  
SOUTHWESTERN AREAS (E.G., FLORENCE, WILLIAMSBURG, GEORGETOWN)  
SHOULD SEE THIN-ENOUGH HIGH CLOUD COVER TO WARM INTO THE LOW TO  
PERHAPS MID-50S.  
 
 
   
SHORT TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/  
 
AFTER ONE MORE CHILLY NIGHT WHERE IT SEEMED PRUDENT TO GO A BIT  
TOWARDS SOME OF THE LOWER PERCENTILES OF THE NBM (AS A COASTAL  
TROUGH KEEPS WINDS LIGHT) TEMPERATURES WILL FINALLY RETURN TO  
NORMAL ON SUNDAY AS THE STILL LIGHT WINDS TURN TO THE SOUTH JUST OFF  
THE SURFACE. SIMILARLY SUNDAY NIGHT'S LOWS LOOK FAIRLY SEASONABLE.  
ZONAL FLOW AND WEAK SURFACE WINDS SHOULD KEEP SKIES CLEAR.  
 
 
   
LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/  
 
TEMPERED WARM ADVECTION MONDAY WILL BRING HIGHS IN THE MID 60S WHILE  
A FEW CLOUDS PASS OVER AS A SHORTWAVE AND SURFACE LOW MOVE ACROSS  
FLORIDA. A MOISTURE-STARVED FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH WITH LITTLE MORE  
THAN A WIND SHIFT TUESDAY NIGHT BUT THE APPROACH OF ANOTHER COLD  
FRONT WILL HELP TO KEEP TEMPERATURES ABOVE NORMAL BOTH TUESDAY AND  
WEDNESDAY. THIS NEXT BOUNDARY MOVES THROUGH THURSDAY AND WITH  
LIMITED MOISTURE FLUX AHEAD OF IT ONLY LOW END CHANCE POPS APPEAR  
WARRANTED. FRIDAY'S TEMPERATURES WILL BE KNOCKED BACK DOWN TO CLIMO  
IF NOT A FEW DEGREES BELOW.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /00Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/  
 
HIGH CONFIDENCE IN VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD.  
 
EXTENDED OUTLOOK...HIGH CONFIDENCE IN VFR THROUGH AT LEAST  
SATURDAY NIGHT. LOW CONFIDENCE EXISTS FOR A FEW HOURS OF MVFR  
CIGS OVER SATURDAY NIGHT. OTHERWISE, MODERATE TO HIGH CONFIDENCE  
FOR VFR PERSISTS THROUGH MIDWEEK.  
 
 
   
MARINE  
 
THROUGH SATURDAY... NW FLOW WILL VEER TO NORTHERLY AND REMAIN STEADY  
AT AROUND 10 KTS TONIGHT AS HIGH PRESSURE SHIFTS OVER THE PIEDMONT.  
THE HIGH SHIFTS TO NEAR OR RIGHT OVER THE COAST TOMORROW, WITH WINDS  
BECOMING LIGHT AND VEERING TO EASTERLY DURING THE AFTERNOON. WAVES  
IN THE 1-3 FT RANGE THIS AFTERNOON WILL FOLLOW A SLOW DECREASING  
TREND INTO THE 1-2 FT RANGE TONIGHT DUE TO THE SLACKENING OF THE  
WINDS.  
 
SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY... WITH A POORLY DEFINED PRESSURE  
PATTERN AN ONLY A WEAK EASTERLY SWELL CONDITIONS WILL BE QUITE  
BENIGN EARLY IN THE PERIOD. PINNING DOWN A WIND DIRECTION COULD EVEN  
BE DIFFICULT AT TIMES AS WELL WITH A WEAK BOUNDARY LURKING OFF THE  
COAST AND A VERY WEAK FRONT MOVING THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. SEAS WILL  
AVERAGE 2 FT FOR THE MOST PART FOR ALL BUT PERHAPS THE END OF THE  
PERIOD WHEN THE APPROACH OF ANOTHER COLD FRONT INTRODUCES A FEW 3  
FT WIND WAVES.  
 
 
   
ILM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
NC...NONE.  
SC...NONE.  
MARINE...NONE.  
 
 
 
 
 
SYNOPSIS...ILM  
NEAR TERM...ABW  
SHORT TERM...MBB  
LONG TERM...MBB  
AVIATION...SHK  
MARINE...  
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