Cape Lookout to Surf City, NC out 20 NM Marine Forecast
| Today...N Winds Around 5 Kt, Becoming Nw Around 5 Kt Early This Afternoon, Then Becoming S Late. Seas 3 To 5 Ft, Except 2 To 3 Ft Near Shore. Wave Detail: E 4 Ft At 9 Seconds. Adjacent Sounds And Rivers Flat, Increasing To Light Chop Late. |
| Tonight...S Winds 5 To 10 Kt, Becoming Sw 10 To 15 Kt After Midnight. Seas 3 To 5 Ft, Except 2 To 4 Ft Near Shore. Wave Detail: E 4 Ft At 10 Seconds And Sw 3 Ft At 4 Seconds. Adjacent Sounds And Rivers Light Chop, Increasing To A Moderate Chop After Midnight. |
| Sat...Sw Winds 15 To 20 Kt, Diminishing To 10 To 15 Kt In The Afternoon. Seas 4 To 6 Ft, Except 2 To 4 Ft Near Shore. Wave Detail: Sw 4 Ft At 5 Seconds And E 4 Ft At 10 Seconds. Adjacent Sounds And Rivers Choppy, Diminishing To A Moderate Chop In The Afternoon. |
| Sat Night...Se Winds 5 To 10 Kt. Seas 2 To 4 Ft. Wave Detail: E 4 Ft At 10 Seconds And Sw 3 Ft At 6 Seconds. Adjacent Sounds And Rivers Light Chop. |
| Sun...S Winds 5 To 10 Kt, Becoming Sw 10 To 15 Kt In The Afternoon. Seas 2 To 4 Ft. Wave Detail: E 3 Ft At 9 Seconds And S 2 Ft At 6 Seconds. Adjacent Sounds And Rivers Light Chop, Increasing To A Moderate Chop In The Afternoon. |
| Sun Night...Sw Winds 10 To 15 Kt. Seas 3 To 5 Ft. Wave Detail: Sw 4 Ft At 6 Seconds And E 3 Ft At 9 Seconds. Adjacent Sounds And Rivers A Moderate Chop. |
| Mon...Sw Winds Around 15 Kt. Seas 3 To 5 Ft. Adjacent Sounds And Rivers A Moderate Chop. |
| Mon Night...N Winds 15 To 20 Kt, Becoming Ne 20 To 25 Kt After Midnight. Seas 5 To 7 Ft. Adjacent Sounds And Rivers Choppy, Increasing To Rough After Midnight. |
| Tue...Ne Winds 20 To 25 Kt, Diminishing To 15 To 20 Kt In The Afternoon. Seas 4 To 6 Ft. Adjacent Sounds And Rivers Rough, Diminishing To Choppy In The Afternoon. |
| Tue Night...Ne Winds 10 To 15 Kt, Diminishing To 5 To 10 Kt After Midnight. Seas 3 To 5 Ft. Adjacent Sounds And Rivers A Moderate Chop, Diminishing To Light Chop After Midnight. |
| Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Newport/Morehead City NC 313am EDT Fri Mar 20 2026 .WHAT HAS CHANGED... Rain probabilities have decreased for Monday with this update. .KEY MESSAGES... 1) A few showers dot the area tonight with backdoor cool front sinking south through ENC. 2) Above normal temps and mainly dry conditions forecast through this weekend. 3) Next frontal passage not expected until Monday with precipitation percentages decreasing to 20-30% with this update. Rain amounts appear trivial. KEY MESSAGE 1...A sea-breeze develops today as surface high edges offshore and flow becomes onshore. A shortwave will swing through the Mid Atlantic tonight and push a weak backdoor cool front through ENC. This may trigger some overnight showers tonight, and rain chances remain in the 20-30% range, highest acrs northern zones where better forcing is located. KEY MESSAGE 2...No major changes with forecast thinking as we will continue to gradually warm through the weekend. Upper level trough that is currently overhead will gradually push offshore with more zonal flow, albeit above normal heights, setting up across the Eastern Seaboard. Dry conditions expected this weekend. Sunday and Monday are the warmest days, reaching well into the 80s interior zones (70s coast). Fire weather concerns should remain rather low, despite the mainly dry conditions, due to light winds forecast through the weekend with high pressure dominating. KEY MESSAGE 2...Stronger shortwave and deeper upper troughing then track across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Monday bringing a backdoor cold front quickly through the area. 20/00Z models have converged on timing with frontal passage. all bringing it through between 18-00Z Monday afternoon. probability of precipitation have decreased with this update, as the front is moisture starved and GOM cut off. Instability is negligible due to lack of moisture, and thunder removed from fcst. The main sensible weather with this front will be a rapid increase of northerly winds behind it with temps dropping through the afternoon and into evening. Marine Seas cont to subside, and will retire the SCA (Small Craft Advisory) at 9am this morning as the nerly swell subsides below 6 ft in several hours. Today, high pressure edges offshore, allowing for onshore sea breeze to develop this afternoon. Winds will switch rapidly esp nearshore as inland heating commences and initiates the sea/sound/river breezes. Speeds should be in the 5-15 kt range, closer to 5 kt offshore closer to the high. Seas cont to subside to 2-4 ft. Tonight, with high shifting further offshore, swrly gradient will remain generally in the 10-15 kt range, though a bit higher and closer to 20 kt over the warm Gulf waters. Marginal SCA (Small Craft Advisory) gusts (25kt) are possible here later tonight. Outlook (Saturday through Tuesday): This weekend, a backdoor front pushes through later in the day Sat with winds becoming nerly but remaining below SCA (Small Craft Advisory) levels. Winds then turn swrly on Sunday once again. On Monday, SW wind increase with 10-20 kt winds expected, with some 25+ kt possible on the Gulf Stream waters, ahead of approaching cold front. Front passes through Monday afternoon with stout 20-30 kt northerly winds developing in its wake through Monday night into Tue, with seas rapidly building to 6+ ft behind the front later Monday. Some gale force gusts not out of the question, particularly on the Gulf waters. NOAA Newport/Morehead City NC Office - Watches - Warnings - Advisories NC...None. Marine Small Craft Advisory until 9am EDT this morning for AMZ152(Oregon Inlet to Cape Hatteras NC)- 154. |
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