327  
FXUS62 KILM 280126  
AFDILM  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC  
926 PM EDT THU MAR 27 2025  
   
SYNOPSIS  
 
HIGH PRESSURE WILL DOMINATE THE WEATHER THROUGH SUNDAY. A COLD FRONT  
WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION ON MONDAY. CHANCES OF SHOWERS INCREASE  
ON SUNDAY, WITH STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MONDAY INTO MONDAY NIGHT. HIGH  
PRESSURE WILL RETURN ON TUESDAY AND THURSDAY.  
 
 
   
UPDATE  
 
OTHER THAN TWEAKS TO REFLECT LATEST CONDITIONS, LITTLE IN THE  
WAY OF ADJUSTMENT WAS NEEDED TO THE FORECAST FOR THE OVERNIGHT.  
 
 
   
NEAR TERM /THROUGH FRIDAY/  
 
CLEAR AND CALM TONIGHT WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE LOW TO MID 40S.  
THERE COULD BE SOME LOCALIZED GROUND FOG NEAR CREEKS AND  
STREAMS, PARTICULARLY ALONG THE COAST. HIGH PRESSURE WILL SLIDE  
OFFSHORE TONIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING. LIGHT WINDS EARLY IN THE  
DAY WILL BECOME SOUTHERLY DURING THE AFTERNOON. WEAK RETURN FLOW  
ON FRIDAY WILL KEEP AFTERNOON RH ABOVE THE CRITICAL THRESHOLDS  
OBSERVED IN PREVIOUS DAYS. FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS COULD CONTINUE  
AS GUSTY WINDS DEVELOP BEHIND A SEA BREEZE DESPITE THE HIGHER  
MINIMUM RH. HIGHS IN THE UPPER 70S TO NEAR 80 INLAND.  
 
 
   
SHORT TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT/  
 
AT 500 MILLIBARS, A SHORT-WAVE TROUGH CENTERED ALONG THE OKLAHOMA  
AND ARKANSAS BORDER WILL SHIFT EASTWARD AND WEAKEN AS IT MOVES  
CLOSER TO THE CAROLINAS. AT THE SURFACE, HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED EAST  
OF THE CAROLINAS WILL RIDGE BACK TO THE GEORGIA COAST. THE SURFACE  
WIND FLOW WILL BE FROM THE SOUTHWEST AND FINALLY SOUTHERLY ON  
SATURDAY NIGHT. THIS SETUP WILL ALLOW THE PRECIPITABLE WATER TO  
INCREASE FROM UNDER 1" TO 1.5" BY LATE SATURDAY NIGHT. THERE WILL BE  
A WEAK LIFT OVER THE AREA BY SATURDAY NIGHT, AND AN ISOLATED SHOWER  
CAN'T BE RULED CLOSER TO SUNRISE ON SUNDAY.  
 
 
   
LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/  
 
A STRONG JET MAX MOVES ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PLAINS, AND A SURFACE LOW-  
PRESSURE AREA DEVELOPS AND MOVES INTO EASTERN KANSAS AND WESTERN  
MISSOURI ON SUNDAY. THIS LOW WILL SHIFT TO MAINE ON MONDAY AS A 995  
MILLIBAR LOW. TO THE SOUTH OF THE LOW, A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE  
EASTWARD, REACHING THE APPALACHIANS EARLY MONDAY AND SHIFTS TO THE  
COAST BY TUESDAY MORNING. TIMING IS SLIGHTLY SLOWER THAN THAT OF THE  
MODELS FROM 24 HOURS AGO. AHEAD OF THE FRONT, THERE IS DECENT  
MOISTURE THAT IS NEAR THE 90 PERCENTILE OF THE AVERAGE FOR THE END  
OF MARCH. THE MEAN ENSEMBLE SURFACE CAPE IS AROUND 1000 J/KG AT 18  
UTC MONDAY. THE WIND SHEAR IS BETWEEN 30 AND 40 KNOTS BUT INCREASES  
INTO THE OVERNIGHT. THE CONFIDENCE WITH THE THUNDERSTORM INTENSITY  
IS WITH THE TIMING. QUICKER ARRIVING CONVECTION IN THE MIDDLE OF THE  
DAY WOULD BE BEST FOR THE STRONG STORMS TO FORM. BY THE EVENING,  
THERE WILL BE LESS INSTABILITY, BUT THE SHEAR IS INCREASING, SO  
UNCERTAINTY IS STILL A CONCERN. SPC CONTINUES TO HIGHLIGHT A 15%  
CHANCE OF SEVERE WEATHER.  
 
WEAK HIGH PRESSURE WILL RETURN TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY WITH LOW  
CHANCES OF PRECIPITATIONS.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /02Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/  
 
HIGH CONFIDENCE IN VFR CONDITIONS CONTINUES THROUGH FRIDAY  
AFTERNOON. SEA BREEZE WITH GUSTS UP TO 15 KNOTS POSSIBLE WITH ON  
FRIDAY. LOW CONFIDENCE AND SMALL CHANCE OF LOCALIZED GROUND FOG NEAR  
STREAMS OR CREEKS FRIDAY MORNING.  
 
EXTENDED OUTLOOK... HIGH CONFIDENCE IN VFR PREVAILING THROUGH  
SATURDAY NIGHT. LOW CONFIDENCE IN FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS FROM  
MORNING GROUND FOG ON SATURDAY MORNING. INCREASING MOISTURE AND  
SHOWERS COULD LEAD TO RESTRICTIONS ON SUNDAY WITH A BETTER  
CHANCE OF RESTRICTIONS ON MONDAY WITH A COLD FRONT.  
 
 
   
MARINE  
 
THROUGH FRIDAY,  
LIGHT WINDS THIS EVENING WILL MAINTAIN THEIR  
VARIABLE DIRECTION AS HIGH PRESSURE SETTLES OVERHEAD AND THEN  
OFFSHORE ON FRIDAY. SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL BE BOLSTERED BY A SEA  
BREEZE NEAR THE COAST. WINDS 10-15 KNOTS WILL BECOME ESTABLISHED  
DURING THE DAY WITH SEAS INCREASING TO 2-3 FEET.  
 
FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY,  
HIGH PRESSURE IS FORECAST OVER THE WATERS FOR MUCH OF THE  
PERIOD, WITH A COLD FRONT APPROACHING THE COAST OVERNIGHT ON  
MONDAY. SEAS ARE EXPECTED TO BE 2 TO 3 FEET THROUGH EARLY  
SATURDAY, AND WITH THE DURATION AND SOUTHERLY FETCH OF THE  
WINDS, SEAS ARE EXPECTED TO BUILD TO 4 TO 5 FEET SUNDAY AND  
MONDAY. A 6-FOOTER IS POSSIBLE 15 TO 20 MILES OFF THE COAST OF  
CAPE FEAR ON MONDAY. SEAS WILL DIMINISH TO 3 TO 4 FEET ON MONDAY  
AND TUESDAY.  
 
 
   
FIRE WEATHER  
 
FIRE DANGER STATEMENT FOR ALL OF THE AREA WILL EXPIRE AT 8 PM. A  
NEW ONE FOR FRIDAY WILL BE ISSUED FOR INLAND NC AREAS AFTER THE  
CURRENT STATEMENT EXPIRES. WINDS AND RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES MAY  
NOT STRICTLY MEET CRITERIA BUT ONGOING DRYNESS AND DRY FUELS ARE A  
SOURCE OF CONCERN.  
 
 
   
ILM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
NC...NONE.  
SC...NONE.  
MARINE...NONE.  
 
 
 
 
 
SYNOPSIS...ILM  
UPDATE...31  
NEAR TERM...21  
SHORT TERM...RH  
LONG TERM...RH  
AVIATION...31  
MARINE...21/RH  
FIRE WEATHER...31  
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