878  
FXUS62 KILM 191715  
AFDILM  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC  
115 PM EDT THU MAR 19 2026  
   
WHAT HAS CHANGED  
 
NOTHING SIGNIFICANT AT THIS TIME.  
 
 
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
1)A WARMUP THAT BEGINS TODAY WILL BE ENDED BY A COLD FRONT LATE  
MONDAY.  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
 
KEY MESSAGE 1...A WARMUP THAT BEGINS TODAY WILL BE ENDED BY A  
COLD FRONT LATE MONDAY.  
 
KEY MESSAGE 1 DESCRIPTION... HIGH PRESSURE IS CURRENTLY ELONGATED UP  
AND DOWN A GOOD PORTION OF THE EAST COAST. AS THE WEEK PROGRESSES  
THE NORTHERN PERIPHERY OF THE ANTICYCLONE WILL BE ERODED BY THE  
NORTHERN BRANCH/FRONTAL BOUNDARIES. THE REMAINING CENTER OF THE HIGH  
WILL BE OVER THE GULF. THE RESULTING LIGHT SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL BRING  
VERY WARM TEMPERATURES, THOUGH NOT QUITE AS WARM AS EARLIER IN MARCH  
WHEN THE HIGH WAS OFF THE EAST COAST. THE MID LEVEL TROUGH IN THE NE  
SHARPENS ENOUGH ON MONDAY TO PUSH A LARGELY MOISTURE-DEPRIVED FRONT  
THROUGH THE AREA, IT'S MOISTURE DEPRIVATION COMING FROM THE SAME  
DISPLACEMENT OF THE HIGH FROM IT'S BERMUDA POSITION. THE COOLDOWN  
BEHIND THE BOUNDARY WILL BE SHORT-LIVED AND GENERALLY ONLY REPRESENT  
A RETURN OF CLIMO TEMPERATURES MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT.  
THE POST-FRONTAL HIGH THAT BUILDS IN WILL IN FACT WIND UP MORE  
OFFSHORE MEANING A WARM AND MOIST RETURN FLOW INTO THE  
SOUTHEAST.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /18Z THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/  
 
VFR WITH CLEAR SKIES, NO FOG, AND LIGHT WINDS THAT WILL TEND TO BE  
NORTHERLY TODAY AND SOUTHERLY TOMORROW. HIGH PRESSURE TRANSITIONS  
FROM BEING ELONGATED UP AND DOWN THE COAST TO CENTERED IN THE GULF.  
 
EXTENDED FORECAST... VFR LIKELY THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK.  
 
 
   
MARINE  
 
THROUGH FRIDAY... WEAKENING HIGH PRESSURE IS ELONGATED ALONG MUCH OF  
THE EAST COAST. THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE HIGH WILL BE ERODED BY  
FRONTAL BOUNDARY TOMORROW LEAVING BEHIND A CENTER THAT SINKS INTO  
THE GULF. WINDS BECOME VERY LIGHT AND VARIABLE IN DIRECTION TONIGHT  
INTO FRIDAY AFTER BEING GUSTY AND OUT OF THE NE TODAY. WIND WAVES  
WILL ABATE BUT THE EASTERLY SWELL WILL CONTINUE, BECOMING THE  
DOMINANT WAVE.  
 
SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY... SWELL ENERGY FROM THE E/SE WILL  
CONTINUE TO BE THE DOMINANT WAVE EARLY IN THE PERIOD. THIS GRADUALLY  
CHANGES SUNDAY INTO MONDAY WITH THE APPROACH OF A COLD FRONT, THE  
BOUNDARY SLATED TO PASS ACROSS THE WATERS LATER MONDAY. A HEALTHY  
VEER EXPECTED WITH FROPA FROM SW TO NW OR EVEN N/NE. WINDS AND SEAS  
COULD BOTH RAMP UP TO ADVISORY LEVELS FOLLOWING THE FRONTAL PASSAGE.  
 
 
   
ILM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
NC...NONE.  
SC...NONE.  
MARINE...NONE.  
 
 
 
 
 
WHAT HAS CHANGED...ILM  
KEY MESSAGES...III/VAO  
DISCUSSION...III/VAO  
AVIATION...VAO  
MARINE...III/VAO  
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
The Nexlab NC Page
The Nexlab SC Page
Main Text Page