984  
FXUS62 KILM 282329  
AFDILM  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC  
729 PM EDT MON SEP 28 2026  
   
WHAT HAS CHANGED  
 
UPDATED AVIATION DISCUSSION FOR 00Z TERMINAL FORECASTS. OTHERWISE,  
NO CHANGES.  
 
 
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
- 1) MINOR COASTAL FLOODING EXPECTED AT HIGH TIDE ALONG THE  
COAST AND THE LOWER CAPE FEAR RIVER FOR AT LEAST A FEW MORE  
DAYS, PARTICULARLY DURING THE DAYTIME HIGH TIDE CYCLES.  
 
- 2) WARMING TREND KICKS OFF TUESDAY, ALLOWING TEMPERATURES TO  
SOAR ABOVE SEASONAL NORMS. NEXT EARNEST RAIN CHANCES RETURN BY  
THIS WEEKEND.  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
 
KEY MESSAGE 1...MINOR COASTAL FLOODING EXPECTED AT HIGH TIDE  
ALONG THE COAST AND THE LOWER CAPE FEAR RIVER FOR AT LEAST A FEW  
MORE DAYS, PARTICULARLY DURING THE DAYTIME HIGH TIDE CYCLES.  
 
HIGH ASTRONOMICAL TIDES WILL CONTINUE TO COMBINE WITH POSITIVE  
TIDAL ANOMALIES TO DELIVER MINOR COASTAL FLOODING AT HIGH TIDE  
FOR AT LEAST THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THE FLOODING WILL BE SLIGHTLY  
MORE PRONOUNCED DURING THE DAYTIME HIGH TIDES, WHERE TIDAL  
ANOMALIES ARE A BIT HIGHER.  
 
ANOTHER ROUND OF COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORIES WILL GO INTO EFFECT  
TONIGHT FOR THE ENTIRE COASTLINE FROM SOUTH SANTEE RIVER, SC TO  
SURF CITY, NC FROM 7 PM - 11 PM EDT, ALONG WITH THE LOWER CAPE  
FEAR RIVER, INCLUDING DOWNTOWN WILMINGTON, FROM 9 PM - 2 AM  
EDT.  
 
KEY MESSAGE 2...WARMING TREND KICKS OFF TUESDAY, ALLOWING  
TEMPERATURES TO SOAR ABOVE SEASONAL NORMS. NEXT EARNEST RAIN  
CHANCES RETURN BY THIS WEEKEND.  
 
500 MB HEIGHTS START PICKING UP TUESDAY, WITH RIDGING STARTING  
TO POKE UP FROM THE GULF. THIS KICKS OFF THE START OF ABOVE  
NORMAL TEMPERATURES THAT APPEAR TO LAST TUESDAY THROUGH  
SATURDAY. HIGHS IN THE MID-TO-UPPER 80S LOOKS LIKE A SLAM DUNK  
FOR MOST. HIGHS AROUND 90F APPEAR POSSIBLE ALONG AND WEST OF  
I-95 AS EARLY AS WEDNESDAY, WITH THOSE CHANCES SOLIDIFYING MORE  
BY THURSDAY AND FRIDAY (COULD POTENTIALLY BE 90-92F IN SOME  
SPOTS). MOISTURE PARAMETERS PICK UP AS WELL, WITH DEWPOINTS  
SOARING INTO THE 60S, AND EVEN INTO THE LOWER 70S FOR THE  
COASTAL AREAS THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. FRIDAY IN PARTICULAR  
COULD BE THE MOST HOT AND HUMID DAY OF THE WEEK, WITH THE HEAT  
INDEX CLIMBING UP TOWARDS 95 IN SOME SPOTS (IN OCTOBER, MIND  
YOU).  
 
PATTERN STARTS TO FLIP BY SATURDAY. THE HEAT RIDGE STARTS TO  
PUSH OFFSHORE, WHILE A VERY BROAD TROUGH PATTERN THAT STRETCHES  
FROM NEAR THE PNW ALL THE WAY TO NEW ENGLAND HELPS TO SUPPRESS  
THE RIDGE SOUTHWARD. WEAK SHORTWAVE ENERGY BREAKS OFF THE BROAD  
TROUGH AND WILL HELP PRODUCE SCATTERED SHOWERS AND PERHAPS A FEW  
RUMBLES OF THUNDER SATURDAY, BUT NOTHING APPEARS TO BE A WASHOUT  
AT THIS TIME. THESE RAIN CHANCES APPEAR TO GET A BIT MORE  
BULLISH BY SUNDAY AND MONDAY, AS PART OF THE BROAD TROUGH IN THE  
UPPER MIDWEST AMPLIFIES AND SWEEPS THROUGH THE SOUTHEAST AS A  
MORE ORGANIZED FRONTAL SYSTEM. STILL MUCH TO DEBATE ABOUT THE  
TIMING AND ORGANIZATION OF THIS SYSTEM, ALONG WITH WHAT KIND OF  
RAINFALL AMOUNTS TO EXPECT.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /00Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/  
 
VFR CONDITIONS WITH LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH  
MUCH OF THE VALID TAF PERIOD BEFORE A LIGHT SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST WIND  
DEVELOPS AT THE COASTAL TERMINALS LATE IN THE PERIOD.  
 
EXTENDED FORECAST...PREDOMINANTLY VFR THROUGH AT LEAST FRIDAY. FOG  
MIGHT BECOME A BIT MORE OF AN ISSUE DURING THE MORNINGS,  
PARTICULARLY THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. EARNEST RAIN CHANCES COME  
BACK INTO PLAY SATURDAY WITH THE NEXT SYSTEM, WHICH MAY INTRODUCE  
MORE ORGANIZED FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS.  
 
 
   
MARINE  
 
THROUGH SATURDAY...RATHER BENIGN MARINE CONDITIONS EXPECTED  
THROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF THE WEEKEND, WITH A GENTLE BREEZE THAT  
FLUCTUATES A BIT OUT OF THE E TO S DURING THE DAYTIME, BECOMING  
A MORE VARIABLE LIGHT BREEZE AT NIGHT. SEAS REMAIN AT 1-2 FT  
THROUGH WEDNESDAY, WITH PERHAPS SOME 3 FT WAVES TRYING TO SNEAK  
INTO THE WATERS OUT 60 NM BY WEDNESDAY NIGHT. IN BETWEEN LIGHT  
WIND CHOP, LOOK FOR A PERSISTENT LONG PERIOD EASTERLY SWELL AT  
10-13 SECONDS.  
 
 
   
ILM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
NC...COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY FROM 7 PM TO 11 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR  
NCZ106-108-110.  
COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO 2 AM EDT  
TUESDAY FOR NCZ107.  
SC...COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY FROM 7 PM TO 11 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR  
SCZ054-056.  
MARINE...NONE.  
 
 
 
 
 
WHAT HAS CHANGED...IGB  
KEY MESSAGES...IGB  
DISCUSSION...IGB  
AVIATION...31  
MARINE...IGB  
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