449
FXUS62 KMHX 230750
AFDMHX
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC
ISSUED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
350 AM EDT WED SEP 23 2026
WHAT HAS CHANGED
STRONGER WINDS LOOK TO REMAIN IN PLACE ACROSS THE OBX AND
COASTAL WATERS LONGER.
GALE WARNINGS HAVE BEEN EXTENDED SLIGHTLY BASED OFF RECENT
TRENDS.
KEY MESSAGES
1) LARGE AND SLOW MOVING COASTAL LOW TO IMPACT ENC WITH PERIODS OF
RAIN, STRONG WINDS, AND COASTAL FLOODING STARTING TODAY AND
PERSISTING INTO LATE WEEK.
MARINE: GALE FORCE WINDS AND VERY DANGEROUS HIGH SEAS MID TO
LATE WEEK.
DISCUSSION
KEY MESSAGE 1…NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO FORECAST THINKING AS A
CONSOLIDATION OF SURFACE LOWS IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR ALONG AN
ELONGATED BAROCLINIC ZONE OFF THE U.S. EAST COAST LATER TODAY.
RAPID DEEPENING OF THIS LOW PRESSURE IS THEN FORECAST LATER
TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY AS A NOTABLE COASTAL LOW TAKES SHAPE. THIS
LOW IS THEN FORECAST TO MOVE NORTH TOWARDS SOUTHERN NEW
ENGLAND, THEN EVENTUALLY WEAKEN AS IT POTENTIALLY WOBBLES AROUND
THE NEW ENGLAND COAST OVER THE WEEKEND. REGARDING THE TRACK AND
THE STRENGTH OF THIS LOW, MOST GUIDANCE HAS SHIFTED SLIGHTLY
LATER IN THIS LOW’S EXIT KEEPING STRONGER WINDS IN PLACE
SLIGHTLY LONGER ACROSS THE AREA WATERS AND OBX. WILL NOTE, NOT
ALL GUIDANCE IS AS SLOW OR AS DEEP WITH THIS LOW’S DEPARTURE AND
WHILE THE CURRENT FORECAST HAS TRENDED SLIGHTLY UP COMPARED TO
THE PREVIOUS FORECAST, SOME FURTHER ADJUSTMENTS INCLUDING A
DECREASE IN WIND POTENTIAL IS NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION JUST YET.
REGARDING SENSIBLE WEATHER, SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED
THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO PERSIST THROUGH THURSDAY WITH THE
BEST CHANCES TO SEE PRECIPITATION LIKELY ALONG AND EAST OF HWY
17. WHILE AN AREA OF FOCUSED LIFT AND HIGHER RAINFALL TOTALS MAY
STILL DEVELOP, THE LATEST GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO BACK OFF ON
THIS POTENTIAL, AND IT APPEARS THE RISK OF FLOODING DUE TO RAIN
REMAINS LOW.
BY FAR, THE GREATEST IMPACTS WITH THIS COASTAL LOW ARE EXPECTED
FOR THE OUTER BANKS. THERE, A PERIOD OF MODERATE TO STRONG
NORTHEAST TO NORTH WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP LATER TODAY,
AND THEN POTENTIALLY LAST WELL INTO THE DAY FRIDAY AND
POTENTIALLY AS LATE AS SATURDAY MORNING, ESPECIALLY IF THE
LATEST WESTWARD AND SLOWER TREND HOLDS. PROBABILISTIC GUIDANCE
SHOWS A STRONG SIGNAL FOR REACHING WIND ADVISORY CRITERIA WITH
BOTH SUSTAINED WINDS AND GUSTS, AND THE WIND ADVISORY FOR DARE
COUNTY, OCRACOKE, AND DOWNEAST CARTERET COUNTY REMAINS IN EFFECT
STARTING LATER THIS AFTERNOON. FOR THE OBX FROM CAPE HATTERAS
NORTH, PEAK GUSTS COULD TOP OUT AROUND 50 MPH, AND THIS MAY LEAD
TO SOME MINOR TREE AND POWER LINE DAMAGE, ALONG WITH A RISK OF
ISOLATED POWER OUTAGES.
THE STRONG, AND LONGER DURATION, OF THE WINDS IS ALSO EXPECTED
TO SUPPORT AN INCREASED RISK OF COASTAL IMPACTS. BUILDING SEAS
AND INCREASING SWELL PERIODS WILL LEAD TO DANGEROUS SURF
CONDITIONS IN ADDITION TO A RISK OF BEACH EROSION, WAVE RUNUP,
OCEAN OVERWASH, AND MINOR TO MODERATE COASTAL FLOODING. WAVE
HEIGHTS IN THE SURF ZONE MAY REACH 10-15FT AT 10-13S FROM DUCK
TO CAPE HATTERAS, PEAKING ON THURSDAY. 6-8FT+ WAVE HEIGHTS IN
THE SURF ZONE MAY LAST INTO THIS WEEKEND. A HIGH SURF ADVISORY
REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING. THE STRENGTH, AND
DURATION, OF THE SWELL IS EXPECTED TO LEAD TO AN INCREASED RISK
OF OCEAN OVERWASH AND MODERATE COASTAL FLOODING FOR THE
VULNERABLE STRETCHES OF THE COASTLINE ALONG HATTERAS ISLAND.
WHERE DUNE STRUCTURES ARE LESS VULNERABLE, MINOR COASTAL
FLOODING WILL BE POSSIBLE.
FOR SOUNDSIDE AREAS ADJACENT TO THE SOUTHERN PAMLICO SOUND, AND
THE NEARBY NEUSE RIVER, PERSISTENT NORTHEASTERLY WINDS MAY LEAD
TO MINOR COASTAL FLOODING LATER WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.
EVENTUALLY THE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO TURN MORE NORTHERLY, WHICH
MAY THEN ALLOW THE SOUNDSIDE COASTAL FLOODING RISK TO SHIFT TO
PORTIONS OF OCRACOKE AND HATTERAS VILLAGES.
PLEASE CONTINUE TO STAY TUNED FOR FUTURE UPDATES AS THIS IS A
COMPLEX AND LONGER-DURATION COASTAL LOW EVENT, WITH SUBTLE
CHANGES IN STRENGTH AND PATH OF THE LOW LEADING TO INCREASED, OR
DECREASED, COASTAL IMPACTS.
AVIATION /07Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/
CURRENTLY HAVE A MIX OF LIFR/IFR ACROSS INLAND AREAS MAINLY ALONG
AND WEST OF HWY 17 WITH MVFR CEILINGS NOTED EAST OF HWY 17 AS
LOW STRATUS CONTINUES TO PLAGUE THE AREA UNDER STEADY NE FLOW
FROM A DEVELOPING COASTAL LOW. CONDITIONS ARE GENERALLY EXPECTED
TO VARY BETWEEN LIFR TO MVFR THROUGH THIS MORNING AND INTO
TONIGHT AS LOW STRATUS CONTINUES TO STREAM INTO ENC TODAY. SHRA
AND ISOLATED TSRA WILL CONTINUE TO THREATEN ALL TERMINALS TODAY,
THOUGH BEST CHANCES WOULD BE CLOSER TO THE COAST AND NEAR THE
EWN/OAJ TERMINALS AS THIS WILL BE WHERE THE BEST LIFT IS NOTED.
REGARDLESS, VCSH IS NOTED ACROSS ALL TERMINALS TODAY STARTING
AROUND 14-16Z TO ACCOUNT FOR THE THREAT FOR PRECIP. IFR IS MOST
LIKELY TO HOLD THROUGH THE PERIOD ACROSS THE INNER COASTAL PLAIN
(PGV AND ISO), WHILE CLOSER TO THE COAST A RETURN TO MVFR FOR A
PORTION OF THE DAY IS POSSIBLE - THAT BEING SAID, PROBABILITIES
OF IFR HERE REMAIN 25-30% THROUGH THE DAYTIME HOURS.
AS THE AFOREMENTIONED COASTAL LOW BECOMES BETTER ORGANIZED EAST
OF ENC TODAY, A STRENGTHENING GRADIENT SHOULD LEAD TO
INCREASING NE WINDS, WITH A GRADUAL INCREASE IN THE RISK OF
20-25KT GUSTS. WINDS DO LOOK TO EASE THIS EVENING WITH STEADY NE
WINDS NOTED AT 10-15 KTS TONIGHT. LOW STRATUS LOOKS TO CONTINUE
TO PLAGUE THE AREA THIS EVENING AS WELL AS THE AFOREMENTIONED
LOW REMAINS OFF THE COAST OF NC TONIGHT.
OUTLOOK: A COASTAL LOW WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT PERIODS OF
GUSTY WINDS, LOW CIGS, AND SHRA THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK.
CIGS MAY EVENTUALLY RISE TO VFR LEVELS BY THE WEEKEND AS DRIER
AIR BEGINS TO WRAPAROUND THE WESTERN PERIPHERY OF THE LOW.
MARINE
CONSOLIDATING AND DEEPENING LOW PRESSURE OFF THE NORTH CAROLINA
COAST WILL RESULT IN DANGEROUS BOATING CONDITIONS OVER THE NEXT
FEW DAYS. FOR THE COASTAL WATERS, GALE FORCE NE’RLY WINDS ARE
FORECAST TO OVERSPREAD THE AREA LATER TODAY WITH 20-30 KT WINDS
AND 35-45 KT GUSTS FORECAST FOR JUST ABOUT ALL OF THE WATERS
OUTSIDE OF THE PAMLICO/PUNGO/NUESE/BAY RIVERS WHERE SCA
CONDITIONS WILL BE NOTED. SEAS OF 10-20FT WILL BE POSSIBLE,
ESPECIALLY FOR THE WATERS FROM CAPE LOOKOUT NORTH THROUGH DUCK.
THE NEARSHORE COASTAL WATERS SHELTERED IN N AND NE FLOW SOUTH OF
LOOKOUT MAY ONLY HAVE SEAS PEAK AT 5-10FT. SWELL PERIODS WILL
GRADUALLY BUILD TO 10-13S DURING THIS TIME AS WELL. MARINE
HEADLINES IN EFFECT NICELY COVER THE EXPECTED HAZARDS, AND THE
ONLY CHANGES WERE TO ADJUST THE ENDING TIMES FOR A FEW AREAS.
OUTLOOK: BASED ON THE LATEST GUIDANCE, HAZARDOUS MARINE
CONDITIONS MAY LAST WELL INTO THE WEEKEND, ESPECIALLY FOR THE
COASTAL WATERS AS SEAS REMAIN ELEVATED. HOWEVER, WINDS SHOULD
GRADUALLY LAY DOWN OVER THE WEEKEND AS THE LOW PULLS AWAY AND
WEAKENS.
MHX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
NC...WIND ADVISORY FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 2 AM EDT FRIDAY FOR
NCZ047-196-203>205.
COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 11 AM EDT
FRIDAY FOR NCZ094-194-196.
BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT FROM 8 AM EDT THIS MORNING THROUGH
THIS EVENING FOR NCZ195-196-199-203>205.
HIGH SURF ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM EDT SATURDAY FOR NCZ203.
COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 11 PM EDT
FRIDAY FOR NCZ203.
COASTAL FLOOD WARNING FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 11 PM EDT
FRIDAY FOR NCZ204-205.
HIGH SURF ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM EDT SATURDAY FOR NCZ205.
MARINE...GALE WARNING FROM 7 AM THIS MORNING TO 8 PM EDT FRIDAY FOR
AMZ131-135-230-231.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 2 PM EDT FRIDAY FOR AMZ136-137.
GALE WARNING FROM 7 AM THIS MORNING TO 8 AM EDT SATURDAY FOR
AMZ150-152-180-182.
GALE WARNING FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 8 PM EDT FRIDAY FOR
AMZ154-184.
GALE WARNING FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 8 AM EDT FRIDAY FOR
AMZ156-158-188.
GALE WARNING FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 6 PM EDT FRIDAY FOR
AMZ186.
DISCUSSION...RCF
AVIATION...RCF
MARINE...RCF
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