071  
FXUS62 KILM 201930  
AFDILM  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC  
330 PM EDT MON JUL 20 2026  
   
WHAT HAS CHANGED
 
 
A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY WAS ISSUED FOR TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. UPDATED  
AVIATION DISCUSSION.  
 

 
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
1) HOT WEATHER CONTINUES THROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF THIS WEEK WITH  
ADDITIONAL HEAT ADVISORIES POSSIBLE.  
 
2) BEST CHANCES FOR RAIN ARRIVE WITH A STRONG COLD FRONT DURING MID  
TO LATE WEEK, INCLUDING A RISK FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORMS AND FLASH  
FLOODING.  
 
3) A PERIOD OF ENHANCED WINDS AND SEAS WILL EXIST THROUGH  
MIDWEEK AS A STRONGER COLD FRONT DROPS DOWN FROM THE NORTH.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
KEY MESSAGE 1...HOT WEATHER CONTINUES THROUGH WEDNESDAY WITH  
ADDITIONAL HEAT ADVISORIES POSSIBLE.  
 
THE REGION WILL REMAIN SANDWICHED BETWEEN MID-UPPER TROUGHING TO THE  
NORTH AND THE CLOSED MID-UPPER LOW ASSOCIATED WITH T.D TWO TO THE  
SOUTH, LEAVING A WEAK RIDGE AXIS IN BETWEEN. TEMPERATURES IN THE LOW-  
MID TROPOSPHERE ARE FORECAST TO HOLD AT SIMILAR LEVELS TO THOSE  
OBSERVED OVER THE WEEKEND, SUPPORTING CONTINUED ABOVE-NORMAL  
TEMPERATURES AND HEAT INDICES BREACHING 100F. THE EXTENT OF  
CLOUDINESS AND SHOWERS/STORMS WILL AFFECT WHETHER SOME AREAS REACH  
HEAT INDICES OF 105F, BUT IT APPEARS ADDITIONAL HEAT ADVISORIES ARE  
POSSIBLE UNTIL THE NEXT FRONT COMES DOWN MID TO LATE WEEK.  
UNTIL THEN, COVERAGE OF SHOWERS/STORMS SHOULD REMAIN ISOLATED  
THROUGH WEDNESDAY.  
 
KEY MESSAGE 2...BEST CHANCES FOR RAIN ARRIVE WITH A STRONG COLD  
FRONT DURING MID TO LATE WEEK, INCLUDING A RISK FOR STRONG  
THUNDERSTORMS AND FLASH FLOODING.  
 
THE STALLED FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO LIFT BACK TO THE NORTH  
LEAVING THE THREAT OF ISOLATED TO WIDELY SCATTERED POP-UP  
SHOWERS AND STORMS THROUGH WED. ANY STRONGER STORMS WILL MAINLY  
REMAIN NORTH OF THE LOCAL AREA AS THE FRONT LIFTS NORTH, WITH THE  
FOCUS OF ANY CONVECTION ALONG THE SEA BREEZE AND ANY  
CONVERGENCE ZONES THAT HAPPEN TO FORM INLAND. AN ISOLATED  
STRONG TO DAMAGING WIND GUST CANNOT BE RULED OUT IF A STORM CAN  
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE STEEP LOW-LEVEL LAPSE RATES COMBINED WITH  
A HEAVY, WATER-LOADED DOWNDRAFT. SOMETHING TO WATCH IS THE  
PROGRESSION OF SHOWERS AND STORMS TO THE NORTH, WHICH COULD SEND  
OUTFLOW INTO OUR NORTHERN TIER OF COUNTIES (PENDER THROUGH  
MARLBORO) AND PRODUCE AREAS OF HEAVY SHOWERS AND STORMS THROUGH  
LATE DAY. TUESDAY IS LOOKING DRIER WITH ONLY ISOLATED CONVECTION  
AT THE MOST.  
 
AS TROUGHING BECOMES REINFORCED OVER THE EASTERN CONUS DURING  
MIDWEEK, A STRONGER COLD FRONT IS PROGGED TO PUSH SOUTHWARD DURING  
THE WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY TIMEFRAME. WHILE GUIDANCE TOOLS HAVE SLOWED  
DOWN THE FRONTAL PROGRESSION AND SUGGEST WEDNESDAY WILL BE ANOTHER  
HOT AND MOSTLY DRY DAY WITH ISOLATED POP-UP SHOWERS AND STORMS, THE  
INCOMING FRONT IS LIKELY TO ENHANCE PRECIP COVERAGE INTO THE  
SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS REALM WHEN IT DOES ARRIVE, WHICH COULD BE OVER  
WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY.  
 
HOW FAR SOUTH THIS FRONT REACHES BEFORE STALLING, AND WHEN THIS  
OCCURS, STILL CARRIES LOW CONFIDENCE AS GUIDANCE TOOLS REMAIN  
MIXED WITH RESPECT TO ITS POSITION, SO THIS WILL NEED TO BE  
MONITORED AS SHOWER AND STORM COVERAGE COULD BE ENHANCED THROUGH  
THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK AND INTO THE WEEKEND IF THE FRONT IS  
STALLED ALONG THE COAST AS OPPOSED TO FURTHER OFFSHORE OVER THE  
GULF STREAM.  
 
IN ADDITION, THIS FRONT IS EXPECTED TO BRING A RISK FOR ISOLATED  
THUNDERSTORMS WITH STRONG TO LOCALLY DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AS WIND  
SHEAR INCREASES TO 15-25 KTS ON WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. PERHAPS THE  
MORE NOTABLE THREAT IS FOR FLASH FLOODING FROM HEAVY STORMS  
BACKBUILDING AND/OR TRACKING OVER THE SAME AREA MULTIPLE TIMES.  
THE FLASH FLOODING THREAT WILL PERSIST IF THE FRONT STALLS ALONG  
OR JUST INLAND OF THE COAST.  
 
KEY MESSAGE 3...A PERIOD OF ENHANCED WINDS AND SEAS WILL EXIST  
THROUGH MIDWEEK AS A STRONGER COLD FRONT DROPS DOWN FROM THE  
NORTH.  
 
SEE MARINE DISCUSSION BELOW.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /18Z MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/
 
 
SCATTERED CU WILL REMAIN THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING WITH MAINLY  
ISOLATED STORMS AROUND. THE CHANCE FOR STORMS WILL BE GREATEST  
AT KLBT WHERE SOME FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS ARE POSSIBLE. MAY SEE A  
BRIEF STORM ALONG THE SEA BREEZE BOUNDARY AT KCRE/KMYR BUT  
COVERAGE/CONFIDENCE TOO LOW TO INCLUDE AT THIS POINT. THE SEA  
BREEZE WILL ALSO ALLOW WINDS TO INCREASE AND BECOME GUSTY AT  
TIMES AT THE COASTAL TERMINALS.  
 
EXTENDED FORECAST...LOW POTENTIAL FOR MVFR/IFR FROM STORMS  
TUESDAY, MAINLY DUE TO LIMITED STORM COVERAGE. THE AREAL EXTENT  
OF STORMS IS EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY INCREASE FROM WEDNESDAY NIGHT  
ONWARD AS COLD FRONT DROPS SOUTH. THIS WILL RESULT IN AN  
INCREASING POTENTIAL FOR MVFR/IFR CONDITIONS AT TIMES.  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
 
MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY...STEADY SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS  
ARE EXPECTED THROUGH MIDWEEK WITH DAILY ENHANCEMENTS NEARSHORE  
DUE TO THE SEA BREEZE. AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT WILL HELP  
TIGHTEN THE PRESSURE GRADIENT FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON INTO  
WEDNESDAY NIGHT, RESULTING IN THE ISSUANCE OF A SMALL CRAFT  
ADVISORY WITH WINDS AND SEAS FIRMLY ABOVE CRITERIA. WINDS  
DIMINISH OVERNIGHT WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY AS A COLD FRONT  
DRIFTS IN FROM THE NORTH AND STALLS NEAR OR OVER THE WATERS,  
RESULTING IN LOW CONFIDENCE REGARDING THE WIND DIRECTION ON  
FRIDAY PENDING THE LOCATION OF THE FRONT.  
 
SEAS DOWN AROUND 2 TO 4 FT WILL RISE TO 4 TO 6 FT BY LATE  
TUESDAY, REMAINING THROUGH LATE WEDNESDAY. SEAS WILL DIMINISH  
TO 2 TO 4 FT THROUGH THURSDAY AS WINDS WEAKEN. MARINE CONDITIONS  
SHOULD REMAIN BELOW ANY THRESHOLDS WITH LOWER WINDS AND SEAS AS  
COLD FRONT REMAINS IN VICINITY.  
 

 
   
ILM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
NC...HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR NCZ087-096-099-  
105>110.  
BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR NCZ106-  
108.  
SC...HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR SCZ017-023-024-  
033-054-058-059.  
BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR SCZ054-  
056.  
MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 11 AM TUESDAY TO 10 PM EDT WEDNESDAY  
FOR AMZ250-252-254-256.  
 

 
 

 
 
WHAT HAS CHANGED...RGZ  
KEY MESSAGES...RGZ  
DISCUSSION...RGZ  
AVIATION...RGZ  
MARINE...RGZ  
 
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