Cape Fear to Little River Inlet, SC out 20 NM Marine Forecast
| This Afternoon...Sw Winds 20 To 25 Kt, Becoming Nw 25 To 30 Kt. Gusts Up To 35 Kt. Seas 5 To 7 Ft. Wave Detail: Sw 6 Ft At 7 Seconds And Se 2 Ft At 8 Seconds. Showers Likely With A Slight Chance Of Tstms. |
| Tonight...N Winds 25 To 30 Kt With Gusts Up To 35 Kt, Becoming Ne 15 To 20 Kt With Gusts Up To 25 Kt After Midnight. Seas 4 To 6 Ft. Wave Detail: S 5 Ft At 7 Seconds And N 3 Ft At 4 Seconds. |
| Fri...E Winds 10 To 15 Kt With Gusts Up To 20 Kt, Becoming S 5 To 10 Kt In The Afternoon. Seas 2 To 4 Ft. Wave Detail: Ne 3 Ft At 4 Seconds And Se 2 Ft At 8 Seconds. |
| Fri Night...Sw Winds 5 To 10 Kt. Seas 2 To 3 Ft. Wave Detail: E 2 Ft At 5 Seconds And Se 2 Ft At 8 Seconds. |
| Sat...Nw Winds 5 To 10 Kt, Becoming E In The Afternoon. Seas 2 To 3 Ft. Wave Detail: Se 2 Ft At 8 Seconds And Sw 1 Ft At 3 Seconds. |
| Sat Night...E Winds 5 To 10 Kt. Seas 2 To 3 Ft. Wave Detail: Se 2 Ft At 8 Seconds And S 1 Ft At 3 Seconds. |
| Sun...E Winds 10 To 15 Kt. Seas 3 To 5 Ft. A Chance Of Showers In The Morning, Then Showers Likely With A Chance Of Tstms In The Afternoon. |
| Sun Night...S Winds 15 To 20 Kt, Increasing To 20 To 25 Kt After Midnight. Seas 3 To 5 Ft, Building To 5 To 7 Ft After Midnight. A Chance Of Tstms. Showers. |
| Mon...S Winds 20 To 25 Kt, Becoming Sw 25 To 30 Kt In The Afternoon. Seas 6 To 9 Ft. Showers With A Chance Of Tstms. |
| Mon Night...Sw Winds 25 To 30 Kt, Becoming Nw 20 To 25 Kt After Midnight. Seas 6 To 9 Ft, Subsiding To 5 To 7 Ft After Midnight. Showers With A Chance Of Tstms In The Evening, Then A Chance Of Showers After Midnight. Winds And Seas Higher In And Near Tstms. |
| Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Wilmington NC 253pm EDT Thu Mar 12 2026 .WHAT HAS CHANGED... Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been cancelled for the entire area. Aviation discussion updated for the 18Z TAFs. .KEY MESSAGES... 1) Much colder and drier weather will continue to arrive behind a strong cold front this afternoon through tonight. 2) A strong cold frontal passage Monday and Monday night will bring another sharp cooldown through mid next week. KEY MESSAGE 1...Much colder and drier weather will continue to arrive behind a strong cold front this afternoon through tonight. A good 20 to 30 degree temperature drop will take place by this evening across much of the Carolinas as plenty of dry and cold air moves in behind exiting cold front. Pcp water values up around 1.5 inches ahead of front will drop to less than a quarter of an inch by this evening. Temps will be down in the 40s by this evening across the area and down in the mid 30s most places for lows. Skies will clear and winds will drop through the night as high pressure migrates overhead, and any wind sheltered spots could see temps drop below freezing. Frost is also possible in spots. KEY MESSAGE 2...A strong cold frontal passage Monday and Monday night will bring another sharp cooldown through mid next week. A big change in the weather pattern is expected starting Monday as an anomolously strong deep upper trough develops to the west around the MS Valley and then shifts eastward through mid week, albeit in a weakening state. Temperatures will go from above normal Monday to below normal Monday night and stay that way through Thursday. There looks to be a very low risk for a light freeze well inland Monday night, with a better risk for a widespread freeze Tuesday night. Temps should be a bit warmer Wednesday night but still in the mid 30s with some frost potential. Note that our local frost/freeze program does not typically start until Mar 21 so unless that changes we will not be issuing any frost/freeze headlines through this period. Marine Through Friday...Tightened gradient flow and Cold Air Advection will keep Gale conditions ongoing through late this evening as cold front moves through. SW winds ahead of the front will gust to 35 kts or so and will continue with N winds behind the front into this evening. Winds will diminish and continue to veer to the N and then E as high pressure moves closer overhead. Seas up to 4 to 7 ft with a few 8 fters in the outer waters will diminish as winds drop off overnight tonight. By Fri seas will be down to 2 to 4 ft with winds becoming onshore 15 kts or less. Friday night through Tuesday...No big changes to the previous forecast with moderate confidence through the period. High pressure will give way to a strong cold front late Monday and Monday night. Small Craft Advisory conditions are possible from late Sunday into early Tuesday. There is also a low risk for gale force gusts, especially Monday/Monday night. NOAA Wilmington NC Office: Watches - Warnings - Advisories NC...None. SC...None. Marine Gale Warning until midnight EDT tonight for AMZ250-252-254-256. |
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