718  
FXUS62 KILM 100026  
AFDILM  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC  
826 PM EDT FRI OCT 9 2026  
   
WHAT HAS CHANGED
 
 
SEVERAL COASTAL PRODUCTS HAVE BEEN ISSUED THIS EVENING FOR  
SATURDAY. A COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR ALL LOCAL  
BEACHES FOR MINOR COASTAL FLOODING DURING SATURDAY MORNING'S  
HIGH TIDE. A HIGH SURF ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR NEW HANOVER  
AND PENDER COUNTY BEACHES FOR SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT FOR  
BREAKING WAVE HEIGHTS UP TO 6 FEET. A HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK IS  
IN EFFECT FOR EAST-FACING BEACHES, WITH A STRONG LONGSHORE  
CURRENT (AND MODERATE RIP RISK) FOR S-FACING BEACHES.  
 
AVIATION DISCUSSION UPDATED FOR 0Z TAFS.  
 

 
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
1) HEAVY RAIN WILL DEVELOP DURING SATURDAY AND PERSIST AT TIMES  
INTO SUNDAY MORNING. A FEW AREAS COULD SEE FLASH FLOODING AS A  
RESULT, ESPECIALLY ACROSS COASTAL AREAS. ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE  
POSSIBLE SATURDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY SUNDAY.  
 
2) HAZARDOUS SURF CONDITIONS AND MINOR COASTAL FLOODING ARE  
LIKELY THIS WEEKEND.  
 
3) HAZARDOUS MARINE CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY THIS WEEKEND.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
KEY MESSAGE 1...HEAVY RAIN WILL DEVELOP DURING SATURDAY AND  
PERSIST AT TIMES INTO SUNDAY MORNING. A FEW AREAS COULD SEE  
FLASH FLOODING AS A RESULT, ESPECIALLY ACROSS COASTAL AREAS.  
ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE SATURDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY  
SUNDAY.  
 
ISAIAS IS EXPECTED TO MAKE LANDFALL ALONG GULF THIS EVENING AND  
WILL REMAIN FAR WEST OF THE FORECAST AREA. EVEN THOUGH IT  
REMAINS FAR TO THE WEST DEEP TROPICAL MOISTURE WILL OVERSPREAD  
THE AREA. AS UVVS INCREASE DURING SATURDAY WITH DIVERGENT FLOW  
EXPANDING OVERHEAD THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAINFALL WILL EXIST  
ESPECIALLY SATURDAY AFTERNOON INTO EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. IN  
FACT, THERE ARE SOME SCENARIOS THAT DEPICT PWATS APPROACHING 2.4  
TO 2.5 INCHES DURING SATURDAY WHICH WOULD RIVAL THE HIGHEST  
PWATS AT THE CHS RAOB FOR THIS TIME IN OCTOBER. WHILE MOST  
GUIDANCE SUGGEST A BROAD AREA OF 2 TO 4 INCHES, ESPECIALLY ALONG  
COASTAL AREAS THE HREF IS SHOWING A COUPLE MAX AREAS GREATER  
THAN 10" JUST OFF THE COAST. GIVEN THE ENVIRONMENT AND PROXIMITY  
OF SOME OF THE HIGHER END RAINFALL AMOUNTS FEEL IT IS BEST TO  
ISSUE A FLOOD WATCH FOR THE COASTAL COUNTIES AND COLUMBUS  
COUNTY TO START WITH. ADDITIONALLY, THERE WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY  
WITH AN ENVIRONMENT SUPPORTIVE OF TORNADOES. THIS POTENTIAL IS  
SIMILAR ACROSS ALL OF NORTHEAST SC AND SOUTHEAST NC HIGHLIGHTED  
BY A MARGINAL (1 OF 5) RISK SATURDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY SUNDAY  
MORNING. A MARGINAL RISK IS ALSO HIGHLIGHTED ACROSS THE  
FORECAST AREA DURING THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY SUNDAY BUT IS MORE  
CONDITIONAL AT THAT TIME. DEEPER DRYING DURING SUNDAY WILL  
IMPACT THE AREAL EXTENT OF ANY CONVECTION AND THE THREAT OF  
FLOODING.  
 
KEY MESSAGE 2... HAZARDOUS SURF CONDITIONS AND TIDAL FLOODING  
ARE LIKELY THIS WEEKEND.  
 
NO CHANGES TO THE PREVIOUS THINKING REGARDING COASTAL IMPACTS  
THIS WEEKEND. THE INCREASED ONSHORE WILL YIELD ROUGH SURF AND  
STRONG RIP CURRENTS. A HIGH SURF ADVISORY MAY BE NEEDED FOR  
SATURDAY DUE TO BREAKERS EXCEEDING 5 FT IN THE SURF ZONE, ALONG  
WITH ELEVATED RIP CURRENT RISKS. WAVE-RUNUP MAY ALSO CAUSE MINOR  
TO MODERATE BEACH EROSION, ESPECIALLY THOSE BEACHES WITH A  
WEAKENED SHORELINE STRUCTURE WITH HIGH TIDE SATURDAY EVENING.  
ROUGH SURF MAY LINGER INTO MONDAY BUT SHOULD IMPROVE AS THE  
WINDS BECOME MORE FAVORABLE.  
 
THE WINDS COUPLED WITH THE HIGH ASTRONOMICAL TIDES DURING THE  
NEXT SEVERAL HIGH TIDE CYCLES WILL LEAD TO MINOR COASTAL  
FLOODING ALONG ALL AREA BEACHES AND THE LOWER CAPE FEAR RIVER  
INCLUDING DOWNTOWN WILMINGTON. A COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY WILL  
LIKELY BE NEEDED FOR HIGH TIDE STARTING SATURDAY MORNING.  
 
KEY MESSAGE 3... HAZARDOUS MARINE CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY THIS  
WEEKEND.  
 
SEE MARINE SECTION.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /00Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/
 
 
VFR CONDITIONS WITH ABUNDANT HIGH CLOUDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH  
TONIGHT, WITH MVFR CIGS MOVING INTO NE SC AS EARLY AS 10-11Z.  
THESE CIGS WILL CONTINUE EXPANDING NORTHWARD SATURDAY MORNING,  
POTENTIALLY LOWERING TO IFR BY LATE MORNING FOR INLAND  
TERMINALS. 0Z TAFS CARRY PREDOMINANT SUB-VFR CIGS AROUND  
800-1200 FT FOR MOST OF THE DAY SATURDAY. HOWEVER, IT IS LIKELY  
THESE LOW CIGS WILL BE MORE PATCHY IN NATURE, VERSUS WIDESPREAD,  
AND COULD SEE BOUNCING OF CIGS BETWEEN VFR AND MVFR/IFR DURING  
THE DAY. THIS MAY BE HANDLED WITH THE ADDITION OF TEMPOS DURING  
LATER TAFS.  
 
RAIN CHANCES WILL ALSO BE INCREASING DURING THE NIGHT, WITH HIGH  
CHANCES DURING THE DAY SATURDAY INTO SATURDAY NIGHT. SHOWERS ARE  
EXPECTED TO BE HEAVY AT TIMES, AND THEREFORE HAVE INCLUDED LOWER  
VSBYS IN THE TAFS. BEST CHANCE FOR OCCASIONAL THUNDER WILL BE AT  
COASTAL TERMINALS DURING THE DAY, THOUGH CAN'T RULE OUT ISOLATED  
THUNDER FOR I-95 TERMINALS. NORTHEASTERLY WINDS WILL BE  
INCREASING INTO SATURDAY MORNING, TURNING EASTERLY BY SATURDAY  
AFTERNOON, WITH GUSTS NEAR 30 KTS AT COASTAL TERMINALS AND  
AROUND 25 KTS INLAND SATURDAY.  
 
EXTENDED OUTLOOK...IFR CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY INLAND SATURDAY  
NIGHT, WITH LOWER CONFIDENCE AT COASTAL TERMINALS. HEAVY RAIN  
AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY,  
HIGHER CONFIDENCE AT COASTAL TERMINALS. VFR SHOULD RETURN AS DRY  
AIR FILTERS IN LATE SUNDAY AND MONDAY.  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
 
NORTHEAST TO EASTERLY WINDS WILL INCREASE SATURDAY AS THE  
PRESSURE GRADIENT TIGHTENS BETWEEN HIGH PRESSURE NORTH OF THE  
AREA AND ISAIAS WHICH WILL BE MOVING FARTHER INLAND AFTER  
LANDFALL ALONG THE GULF THIS EVENING. THE FLOW WILL CONTINUE TO  
VEER TO THE SOUTHEAST AND SOUTH DURING SATURDAY EVENING AND  
WIND SPEEDS WILL LIKELY BE AIDED BY AREAS OF CONVECTION. WHILE  
SUSTAINED WINDS MAY BE MARGINALLY AT OR BELOW GALE FORCE  
FREQUENT GUSTS TO GALE FORCE SUPPORT REPLACING THE GALE WATCH  
WITH A GALE WARNING. SEAS WILL BECOME STEEPER AND INCREASE TO 7  
TO 10 FT, ESPECIALLY OFFSHORE. THE FLOW WILL FINALLY VEER TO AN  
OFFSHORE DIRECTION SUNDAY NIGHT WITH SPEEDS DECREASING WITH  
IMPROVING MARITIME CONDITIONS DURING MONDAY. AT SOME POINT THE  
GALE WARNING WILL NEED TO BE LOWERED IN FAVOR OF A SMALL CRAFT  
ADVISORY, POSSIBLY DURING SUNDAY.  
 

 
   
ILM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
NC...FLOOD WATCH FROM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH LATE SATURDAY NIGHT  
FOR NCZ099-105>110.  
COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY FROM 6 AM TO 10 AM EDT SATURDAY FOR  
NCZ106-108-110.  
HIGH RISK FOR RIP CURRENTS FROM 6 AM EDT SATURDAY THROUGH SATURDAY  
EVENING FOR NCZ106-108.  
HIGH SURF ADVISORY FROM 2 PM SATURDAY TO 8 AM EDT SUNDAY FOR  
NCZ106-108.  
BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT FROM 6 AM EDT SATURDAY THROUGH  
SATURDAY EVENING FOR NCZ110.  
SC...FLOOD WATCH FROM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH LATE SATURDAY NIGHT  
FOR SCZ054>056-058-059.  
COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY FROM 6 AM TO 10 AM EDT SATURDAY FOR  
SCZ054-056.  
HIGH RISK FOR RIP CURRENTS FROM 6 AM EDT SATURDAY THROUGH SATURDAY  
EVENING FOR SCZ054-056.  
MARINE...GALE WARNING FROM 8 AM SATURDAY TO 6 AM EDT SUNDAY FOR AMZ250-  
252-254-256-280-284.  
 

 
 

 
 
WHAT HAS CHANGED...VAO  
KEY MESSAGES...SRP  
DISCUSSION...SRP  
AVIATION...VAO  
MARINE...SRP  
 
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