100  
FXUS62 KMHX 061924  
AFDMHX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC  
224 PM EST THU MAR 6 2025  
   
SYNOPSIS
 
 
HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD OVER THE AREA TONIGHT,  
GRADUALLY SLIDING OFF THE SOUTHEAST COAST FRIDAY WITH ANOTHER  
FRONTAL SYSTEM EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS THE AREA ON SATURDAY.  
THIS FRONT STALLS JUST SOUTH OF THE AREA WITH A WAVE OF LOW  
PRESSURE RIDING ALONG THIS STALLED FRONT ON SUNDAY AND MONDAY.  
HIGH PRESSURE THEN BUILDS IN FROM THE WEST LATER NEXT WEEK.  
 

 
   
NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/
 
 
AS OF 225 PM THU...LATEST ANALYSIS SHOWS 1020MB HIGH PRESSURE  
CENTERED OVER THE GULF AND DEEP SOUTH THIS AFTERNOON, WHILE  
TROUGH PUSHES OFF THE EAST COAST. SFC HIGH PRESSURE WILL  
CONTINUE TO BUILD EASTWARD OVER THE CAROLINAS TONIGHT. SCT-BKN  
SCU CONTINUES OVER THE MOST OF THE AREA, BUT EXPECT SKIES TO  
CLEAR THIS EVENING AS STRONGER CAA DEVELOPS BEHIND THE TROUGH.  
EXPECT WNW WIND GUSTS TO DIMINISH A BIT INLAND THIS EVE,  
REMAINING BREEZY ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST. CHILLY TEMPS WITH  
LOWS AROUND FREEZING INLAND AND UPPER 30S/LOWER 40S ALONG THE  
COAST.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM /FRIDAY/
 
 
AS OF 225 PM THU...SFC HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD  
OVER THE AREA FRIDAY, GRADUALLY SLIDING OFF THE SE COAST, WITH  
NEARLY ZONAL FLOW ALOFT. LOW PRESSURE AND SHORTWAVE ENERGY  
MOVING THROUGH THE MID-WEST WILL ALLOW FOR INCREASING MID AND  
HIGH CLOUDS FRI AFTERNOON AND EVENING. LOW LEVEL THICKNESS  
VALUES, PC SKIES AND W/WSW FLOW SUPPORT TEMPS NEAR NORMAL, WITH  
HIGHS IN THE UPPER 50S TO LOW 60S INLAND AND MID 50S ALONG THE  
OUTER BANKS.  
 

 
   
LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/
 
 
AS OF 200 PM THURS... WHILE THERE STILL REMAINS SOME  
UNCERTAINTY WITH THE WEEKEND FORECAST AND THE OVERALL  
PROGRESSION OF A COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE, THINGS ARE GRADUALLY  
COMING INTO FOCUS. A RATHER BENIGN PATTERN IS EXPECTED TO SET UP  
BY EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH THE NEXT POTENTIAL FRONTAL SYSTEM THEN  
NEARING ENC AFTER MID NEXT WEEK. THERE IS A VERY STRONG SIGNAL  
IN THE LONG TERM GUIDANCE FOR ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES IN THE  
6-10 DAY TIME FROM (MARCH 11-15)  
 
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY...THE MOST COMPLEX PORTION OF THE LONG TERM  
FORECAST WILL LIKELY BE THIS WEEKEND AS SEVERAL INTERACTIONS  
BETWEEN UPPER AN MID LEVEL FEATURES WILL DETERMINE WHAT WE SEE  
AT THE SURFACE. THOUGH SOME THINGS ARE COMING INTO FOCUS FOR  
THIS WEEKENDS WEATHER. ZONAL FLOW ALOFT GRADUALLY PUSHES OFF THE  
EAST COAST BY SUN WHILE AFOREMENTIONED POSITIVELY TILTED TROUGH  
IN THE WESTERN CONUS PUSHES E'WARDS. AT THE MID LEVELS,  
SHORTWAVE TRACKS ACROSS THE MID-ATLANTIC GETTING STRETCHED OUT  
ON SUN WHILE UPPER LOW IN THE DESERT SOUTHWEST PUSHES E'WARDS  
ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PLAINS ON SAT EVENTUALLY GETTING TO THE  
SOUTHEAST ON SUN. AT THE SURFACE, LOW AND COLD FRONT TRACK  
ACROSS NC POTENTIALLY BRINGING SOME LIGHT SHOWERS MAINLY TO  
NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA SAT AFTERNOON BEFORE THIS FRONT  
STALLS TO THE SOUTH. FURTHER WEST WAVE OF LOW PRESSURE DEVELOPS  
ALONG THE GULF COAST STATES AND TRACKS ENE'WARD ALONG THIS  
STALLED FRONT PUSHING OFF THE SOUTHEAST COAST SUN AS HIGH  
PRESSURE BUILDS IN FROM THE NORTH AND WEST. HOW DEEP AND HOW  
STRONG THE TROUGH TO THE WEST IS WILL HELP DETERMINE IF THE  
ENTIRE AREA GETS ANY PRECIP OR NOT THIS WEEKEND. AS OF RIGHT NOW  
GFS APPEARS TO BE THE OUTLIER WITH A STRONGER TROUGH AND THUS  
FURTHER NORTH MID LEVEL UPPER LOW AND WIDESPREAD RAIN ACROSS ENC  
SAT NIGHT INTO SUN. WHILE ECWMF AND CANADIAN GUIDANCE AND THEIR  
ENSEMBLES ARE MUCH MORE SUPPRESSED WITH THIS UPPER LEVEL  
PATTERN AND SURFACE LOW ALLOWING MOST OF THE AREA TO REMAIN  
PRECIP FREE THIS WEEKEND. GIVEN THE LATEST TRENDS HAVE JUST KEPT  
ENC MO CLOUDY WITH CHC POPS IN THE FORECAST FOR NOW. HIGHS  
GENERALLY RANGE FROM THE 60S TO 70S ON SAT TO THE 40S TO 50S ON  
SUN BEHIND THE AFOREMENTIONED COLD FRONT WHILE LOWS WILL ALSO BE  
ON THE DOWNTREND THIS WEEKEND.  
 
MONDAY THROUGH MIDWEEK...TRENDS SUPPORT A DRIER FORECAST  
THROUGH MID NEXT WEEK WITH WARMING TEMPS. WEAK S'RN STREAM  
TROUGH LAGS BEHIND MID- ATLANTIC SHORTWAVE WITH UNCERTAINTY ON  
JUST HOW THESE TWO TROUGHS INTERACT. TRENDED TOWARD A DRIER  
FORECAST SOLUTION AS SFC HIGH AND NWERLY MID AND UPPER LEVEL  
WINDS SHOULD ADVECT SOLIDLY DRY AIR OVERHEAD, KEEPING WX QUIET.  
WITH THAT SAID, SOME OF THE ALTERNATE POSSIBILITIES ARE A LITTLE  
MORE WET AND DYNAMIC. HIGH PRESSURE THEN BUILDS INTO THE  
CAROLINAS ALLOWING FOR MORE BENIGN WEATHER INTO MIDWEEK. TEMPS  
WILL GRADUALLY BE ON THE INCREASE EACH DAY NEXT WEEK AS LOW  
LEVEL THICKNESSES GRADUALLY INCREASE. THE NEXT CHANCE FOR  
PRECIPITATION LOOKS TO ARRIVE ON THU WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THE  
NEXT FRONTAL SYSTEM. MODERATING TEMPS ARE EXPECTED WITH HIGHS IN  
THE 60S MON AND 70S TUE-THU.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /19Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/
 
 
SHORT TERM /THROUGH FRI/...  
AS OF 1 PM THURSDAY...FEW CHANGES FROM THE PREVIOUS FORECAST AS  
PREDOMINANTLY VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE TAF  
PERIOD. WILL SEE PERIODS OF SCT-BKN CLOUDS CONTINUING THROUGH  
THE AFTERNOON BUT EXPECT CIGS TO REMAIN VFR, MAINLY AROUND 4-5K  
FT. STRONG WESTERLY WINDS HAVE DEVELOPED FOLLOWING THIS  
MORNING'S COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE WITH GUSTS OF 25-35 KT OBSERVED  
ACROSS ENC, WHICH MAY BRING CROSS WIND CONCERNS AT ISO AND EWN  
RUNAWAY 4R/22L. WINDS WILL SLACKEN FAIRLY QUICKLY AFTER SUNSET  
WITH MAINLY CLEAR SKIES TONIGHT.  
 
LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/...  
AS OF 200 PM THURS...PRIMARILY VFR FLIGHT CATS THROUGH THE  
PERIOD. EXCEPTION MAY BE THIS WEEKEND AS A COLD FRONT TRACKS  
ACROSS THE AREA AND STALLS JUST SOUTH OF ENC BRINGING A LOW END  
CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND LOWER CEILINGS. AS THIS OCCURS LOW  
PRESSURE LOOKS TO DEVELOP ALONG THIS STALLED BOUNDARY AND TRACK  
E'WARDS JUST SOUTH OF ENC ON SUNDAY AND COULD BRING RAIN AND SUB  
VFR CONDITIONS TO THE REGION.  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
 
SHORT TERM /THROUGH FRI/...  
AS OF 225 PM THU...LATEST OBS SHOW W-WNW WINDS 15-25 KT GUSTING  
25-35 KT WITH SEAS 5-8 FT (HIGHEST ACROSS THE OUTER CENTRAL AND  
SOUTHERN WATERS). HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVER THE WATERS  
TONIGHT INTO FRIDAY, WITH CONDITIONS GRADUALLY IMPROVING THROUGH  
THE DAY FRI. WNW WINDS WILL BE STEADILY INCREASING THIS  
AFTERNOON, PEAKING AROUND 20-35 KT THIS EVENING. GALE WARNINGS  
CONTINUE FOR THE COASTAL WATERS AND PAMLICO SOUND, WITH SCAS FOR  
THE NORTHERN SOUNDS/RIVERS AND WESTERN RIVERS. THE OFFSHORE  
NATURE OF THE WINDS HAVE ALLOWED SEAS TO SUBSIDE SOME TODAY,  
ESPECIALLY NEAR SHORE WHERE SEAS WILL BE AROUND 3-5 FT WHILE  
OUTER PORTIONS OF THE WATERS WILL BE AROUND 6-9 FT. WIND AND  
SEAS WILL THEN GRADUALLY DIMINISH AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. NW  
WINDS 10-20 KT TO START OFF EARLY FRI MORNING, BECOMING SW 10-15  
KT IN THE AFTERNOON. EXPECT SEAS TO SUBSIDE BELOW 6 FT BY FRI  
AFTERNOON.  
 
THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR LOWER THAN NORMAL WATER LEVELS ACROSS THE  
PAMLICO/PUNGO RVRS TONIGHT GIVEN THE PERIOD OF STRONG WNW FLOW.  
THIS COULD LEAD TO LOCALIZED NAVIGATIONAL CONCERNS, BUT RIGHT  
NOW LOOKS TOO MARGINAL FOR AN ADVISORY.  
 
LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/...  
AS OF 2 PM THURS...SMALL CRAFT CONDITIONS WILL BE ONGOING  
FRIDAY NIGHT AND LIKELY TO PERSIST INTO SAT NIGHT OR EARLY  
SUNDAY ACROSS OUR COASTAL WATERS AND THE PAMLICO SOUND AS THE  
PRESSURE GRADIENT TIGHTENS IN RESPONSE TO THE INTERACTION  
BETWEEN A DEPARTING RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE TO THE EAST AND AN  
APPROACHING LOW AND ITS ASSOCIATED FRONTS TO THE WEST. SW WINDS  
15-25 KT GUSTING UP TO 30 KT FRI NIGHT INTO SAT SHIFT W/NW 15-20  
KT LATER SAT OR SAT EVENING AS A COLD FRONT CROSSES THE WATERS.  
NORTHERLY FLOW 10-20 KT IS EXPECTED BEHIND THE FRONT SAT NIGHT  
AND SUNDAY. MONDAY THE FLOW SHOULD BE N TO NW 10-15 KT AS HIGH  
PRESSURE BUILDS IN. 5 TO 8 FT SEAS FRI INTO EARLY SAT ARE  
FORECAST TO SUBSIDE TO 4-6 FT LATER SAT INTO EARLY SUNDAY THEN  
3-5 FT LATER SUNDAY AND MONDAY.  
 

 
   
TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING
 
 
AS OF 225 PM THU...  
 
KEY MESSAGES  
 
- COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY FROM OCRACOKE TO THE NORTHERN OUTER  
BANKS REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING.  
 
W-WNW WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE THIS AFTERNOON, PEAKING  
TONIGHT. GIVEN THE FAVORABLE WIND DIRECTION, COASTAL FLOOD  
ADVISORIES REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR SOUNDSIDE LOCATIONS ALONG THE  
OUTER BANKS (NORTHERN OBX DOWN TO TO OCRACOKE)...WITH MAX  
INUNDATION ABOVE GROUND LEVEL UP TO 1 FOOT.  
 
GIVEN THE STRONG WNW WINDS, THERE IS ALSO POTENTIAL LOW WATER  
CONCERNS FOR THE PAMLICO/PUNGO RIVERS TONIGHT. AT THIS TIME  
LOOKS TOO MARGINAL FOR AN ADVISORY, BUT COULD LEAD TO LOCALIZED  
NAVIGATIONAL ISSUES.  
 

 
   
MHX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
NC...COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY UNTIL 7 AM EST FRIDAY FOR NCZ203>205.  
MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM EST FRIDAY FOR AMZ131-230-231.  
GALE WARNING UNTIL 4 AM EST FRIDAY FOR AMZ135.  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 4 AM EST FRIDAY FOR AMZ136-137.  
GALE WARNING FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 4 AM EST FRIDAY FOR  
AMZ150.  
GALE WARNING UNTIL 4 AM EST FRIDAY FOR AMZ152-154-156-158.  
 

 
 

 
 
SYNOPSIS...MHX  
NEAR TERM...CQD  
SHORT TERM...CQD  
LONG TERM...JME/RCF  
AVIATION...ZC/RCF  
MARINE...CQD/RCF  
TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING...MHX  
 
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