541  
FXUS62 KMHX 260527  
AFDMHX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC  
1227 AM EST THU DEC 26 2024  
   
SYNOPSIS
 
 
HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD IN FROM THE NORTH THROUGH  
LATE WEEK. THE HIGH WILL SHIFT OFFSHORE BY THIS WEEKEND AS A  
FRONTAL SYSTEM APPROACHES AND BRINGS UNSETTLED WEATHER SUNDAY  
INTO MONDAY.  
 

 
   
NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM THIS MORNING/
 
 
AS OF 945 PM WED...NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES NEEDED TO PREVIOUS  
FORECAST FOR LATE EVE UPDATE, JUST MINOR TWEAKS TO REFLECT  
CURRENT TRENDS. AN AMPLIFYING RIDGE WILL CONTINUE THE QUIET AND  
DRY WEATHER FOR THE REMAINDER OF CHRISTMAS DAY. ASIDE FROM  
INCREASING CIRRUS COVERAGE, TONIGHT WILL BE QUIET WITH LOWS  
RANGING FROM THE LOW-30S ACROSS THE COASTAL PLAIN TO THE UPPER  
30S TO LOW-40S ALONG THE OBX. WINDS SHOULD REMAIN MIXED ENOUGH  
TO PREVENT WIDESPREAD FOG DEVELOPMENT, BUT SHOULD SOME AREAS  
DECOUPLE, SOME MINOR DITCH FOG IS POSSIBLE INLAND.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM /6 AM THIS MORNING THROUGH 6 PM FRIDAY/
 
 
AS OF 2:35 PM WEDNESDAY...TOMORROW, HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE  
RIDGING INTO THE AREA AND BE ACCOMPANIED BY A WEAK COASTAL  
TROUGH. CONDITIONS WILL BE DRY WITH BREEZY NORTHEASTERLY WINDS  
AND A COPY/PASTE OF TODAY'S HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE LOW- TO  
MID-50S.  
 

 
   
LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/
 
 
AS OF 3 AM WED...  
 
KEY MESSAGES  
 
*DRY WEATHER CONTINUES THROUGH SATURDAY WITH MODERATING TEMPS  
AND THE RETURN OF ABOVE NORMAL CONDITIONS  
 
*POTENTIAL FOR A FRONTAL SYSTEM TO BRING UNSETTLED WEATHER  
SUNDAY INTO MONDAY  
 
THURSDAY AND FRIDAY...HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO RIDGE DOWN  
THE EASTERN SEABOARD THROUGH FRIDAY WITH MOSTLY DRY CONDITIONS  
PERSISTING. A WEAK COASTAL TROUGH WILL LIKELY FORM, BUT LATEST  
GUIDANCE SUGGESTS IT WILL BE QUITE DISORGANIZED AND FAR ENOUGH  
OFF SHORE THAT WE WILL SEE LITTLE TO NO SENSIBLE IMPACTS FROM IT  
ASIDE FROM INCREASED COASTAL CLOUDINESS. TEMPERATURES WILL  
CONTINUE TO MODERATE WITH HIGHS MAINLY IN THE MID 50S THURSDAY  
AND LOW TO MID 60S FRIDAY.  
 
SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...HIGH PRESSURE WILL SHIFT OFFSHORE  
SATURDAY AND THOUGH SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL BRING INCREASING  
MOISTURE, UPPER LEVEL RIDGING OVER THE EASTERN CAROLINAS SHOULD  
KEEP CONDITIONS MOSTLY DRY. EXPECT HIGHS TO RISE WELL ABOVE  
NORMAL AND REACH THE UPPER 60S TO LOW 70S.  
 
A POTENT UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL MOVE OUT OF THE TENNESSEE  
VALLEY EARLY SUNDAY WHILE A SURFACE LOW DEEPENS ACROSS THE OHIO  
VALLEY. AS THE UPPER TROUGH HEADS EAST SUNDAY, IT WILL LIKELY  
TAKE ON A NEGATIVE TILT, AND ALLOW FOR DEEP WARM AIR ADVECTION  
TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE CAROLINAS. THIS WILL SWING A SLOW MOVING  
BUT POTENTIALLY STRONG COLD FRONT THROUGH THE AREA LATE SUNDAY  
OR EARLY MONDAY. ENOUGH MODEL CONSENSUS EXISTS TO INCREASE POPS  
TO LIKELY, OR ABOUT 50-60% LATE SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY MORNING. A  
SEVERE THREAT MAY DEVELOP AS WELL, BUT THOSE DETAILS REMAIN  
MURKY AT THIS TIME RANGE....HOWEVER THERE IS ENOUGH OF A SIGNAL  
TO INTRODUCE THUNDER TO THE COAST AND NEARSHORE WATERS.  
TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE TO BE WELL ABOVE NORMAL WITH HIGHS  
IN THE 60S TO LOW 70S.  
 
DRIER CONDITIONS REEMERGE LATE MONDAY AND LOOK TO CONTINUE INTO  
TUESDAY WITH HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING IN. TEMPERATURES LOOK TO  
REMAIN AT OR ABOVE NORMAL.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /06Z THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/
 
 
SHORT TERM /THROUGH 06Z FRI/...  
AS OF 1230 AM THU...PREDOMINANT VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED THROUGH  
MOST OF THE PERIOD AS COOL HIGH PRESSURE FURTHER WEDGES INTO  
THE CAROLINAS FROM THE NORTHEAST. LOW STRATUS CONTINUES TO HUG  
THE OUTER BANKS AND LATEST SATELLITE SHOWS THIS FIELD BEGINNING  
TO BLEED INLAND TOWARDS HIGHWAY 17. CONSEQUENTLY, EWN MAY SEE  
SOME BRIEF MVFR OVERNIGHT. FARTHER INLAND, SITES THAT TEND TO  
DECOUPLE MAY SEE SOME PATCHY SHALLOW FOG PRE-DAWN IF UPPER CLOUD  
COVER CAN REMAIN THIN ENOUGH.  
 
VFR THROUGH THE DAY WITH INCREASING MID AND UPPER LEVEL CLOUDS  
AND NORTHEASTERLY WINDS OF 5-10 KT. SOME INFREQUENT GUSTS TO 15  
KT ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE INNER COASTAL PLAIN IN THE AFTERNOON.  
 
LONG TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/...  
AS OF 3 AM WED...CONDITIONS SHOULD BE MOSTLY VFR THROUGH  
SATURDAY WITH HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE AREA. A WEAK COASTAL TROUGH  
MAY BRING SOME LOW END VFR OR MVFR CEILINGS TO THE COAST AT  
TIMES LATE THIS WEEK. BY LATE SUNDAY, INCREASING RAIN CHANCES  
AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT MAY BRING SOME SUB-VFR CONDITIONS TO THE  
REGION.  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
 
SHORT TERM /THROUGH THURSDAY/...  
AS OF 945 PM WED...LATEST OBS SHOW N/NE WINDS 10-20 KT, GUSTING  
TO 25-30 KT ACROSS THE WARMER OUTER CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN  
WATERS...WITH SEAS 3-5 FT NORTH OF OREGON INLET AND 4-6 FT  
SOUTH. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN LINGERING WEAK LOW PRESSURE  
AND BUILDING HIGH PRESSURE HAS BREEZY TO STRONG NNE WINDS  
ACROSS THE WATERS TODAY. N-NE WINDS 10-20 KT AND SEAS 3-6 FT  
WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THU. SCAS CONT FOR THE COASTAL WATERS  
SOUTH OF OREGON INLET HAVE BEEN EXTENDED THROUGH 00Z FRIDAY,  
WITH POTENTIAL FOR 25 KT GUSTS AND 6 FT SEAS.  
 
LONG TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/...  
AS OF 3 AM WED...DEPENDING ON THE STRENGTH OF A COASTAL TROUGH  
NE WINDS ON THURSDAY MAY EXCEED SMALL CRAFT CRITERIA WITH WINDS  
20-25 KTS AND SEAS 3-5 FT. WITH EXPECTED CONDITIONS SO MARGINAL,  
WILL ELECT TO HOLD OFF ON EXTENDING CURRENTS SCAS OUT THIS FAR,  
BUT THAT REMAINS A FUTURE POSSIBILITY.  
 
WINDS ON FRIDAY WILL LET DOWN TO NE 10-20 KTS, AND THEN BY  
SATURDAY WINDS WILL VEER TO THE SE AT 10-20 KTS AS HIGH PRESSURE  
SHIFTS OFFSHORE. A SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE  
REGION SUNDAY AND WINDS WILL INCREASE AHEAD OF IT TO AT LEAST S  
15-25 KTS. SEAS WILL REMAIN MOSTLY 3-5 FT THROUGH SATURDAY  
BEFORE INCREASING TO 4-7 FT SUNDAY.  
 

 
   
MHX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
NC...NONE.  
MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR AMZ152-  
154-156-158.  
 

 
 

 
 
SYNOPSIS...MHX  
NEAR TERM...CQD/OJC  
SHORT TERM...OJC  
LONG TERM...SGK  
AVIATION...SGK/MS  
MARINE...CQD/SGK/OJC  
 
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