Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Wilmington, NC

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881 FXUS62 KILM 051815 AFDILM Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Wilmington NC 215 PM EDT Sun May 5 2024 .SYNOPSIS... Scattered showers and thunderstorms will occur today through Monday due to several upper level disturbances, diurnal heating, and the daily sea breeze. Dry high pressure will build overhead by Wednesday with well above normal temperatures Wednesday through Friday. Shower and thunderstorm chances increase Fri due to an approaching frontal system and upper low. && .UPDATE...
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Forecast remains on track with sct convection through this aftn with mix of sun and clouds and gusty S-SE winds, mainly along the coast. Appears to be focused along lingering boundary but this should lift north through late this aftn into this eve. Models show convection fading away by early eve with weak ridging building up the Southeast coast. Temps will max out around 80 most places. Updated Aviation Discussion below for 18Z TAFs.
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&& .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... Deeper moisture will overspread the remaining portions of the FA today into tonight, ie. across Southeast NC, as a couple mid-level s/w trofs push across the FA and thru the low amplitude upper ridge. POPs will peak later this morning thru early this evening as diurnal heating and whats left of a weak inland sfc boundary and even a weak sea breeze, all combine to aid the necessary forcing. Shower and tstorm activity likely will be slow movers, not as slow as Sat, with light to modest rainfall deposits and 25 mph wind gusts the main convection results. Also, more clouds than visible sun expected today given the amount of convection anticipated and the resulting convective debris clouds expected. Convection should fade in the evening, except for the immediate coast and adjacent waters, where we`ll hold onto a chance POP thru the night. Highs today will be in the upper 70s with a few locations eclipsing 80 degrees. Tonights lows, balmy 60s to near 70 at the coast given local SSTs having now reached the 70s given the extended period of onshore flow. && .SHORT TERM /MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/... Unsettled weather continues during the early portion of next week. Weak shortwave traversing the Carolinas will bring widespread showers and thunderstorms on Monday. Weak ridging builds behind the shortwave on Tuesday, but warmer temperatures will produce better instability on Tuesday afternoon. Scattered showers and thunderstorms likely to develop, primarily along the sea breeze. High temperatures in the mid and upper 80s and overnight clearing with lows in the upper 60s. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... Ridging amplifies during the middle of the week. Expect above normal temperatures with afternoon highs in the low to mid 90s. SW winds will pin the sea breeze near the coast, keeping coastal sites above normal as well. The warmest temperatures are expected on Wednesday. Friday will be a day worth monitoring for severe weather. The ingredients aren`t yet showing enough continuity to sound the alarm, but the mesoscale and synoptic pattern certainly grab our attention. Days of above normal temperatures will precondition an unstable environment and a low level dynamics will increase ahead of a strong upper low and surface cold front. Cooler and drier behind a cold front next weekend. && .AVIATION /18Z SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/...
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VFR with intermittent MVFR ceilings and vsbys due to shra with isolated tsra through mid to late afternoon across the terminals. Otherwise, gusty S-SE winds at coastal terminals and with lower winds out of the S inland. Convection will fade away after sunset. Included vcsh for the coastal terminals during the pre-dawn Monday morning and possibility of fog and low clouds inland terminals. Weak ridge builds in early Monday and therefore expect mainly cu initially, but another shortwave will move east by afternoon, affecting inland terminals with shra/tsra mainly after the 18Z TAF period. Extended Outlook...Scattered convection will bring periodic visibility and ceiling restrictions Monday aftn into Tuesday. Otherwise, looking at VFR dominating late Tuesday through Thursday with limited aftn convection. Storms should increase again late Thursday into Friday ahead of a cold front.
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&& .MARINE... Through tonight...Onshore SSE-S flow at 10 to occasionally 15 kt will dominate this period as the sfc pg slightly tightens as the sfc ridging pressure pattern modifies off the Carolina Coasts. Seas generally around 3 ft thru the period and comprised of a 3 to 5 second period windwave with an underlying 1 to 2 ft ESE-SE wave at 7 to 9 sec periods. Scattered showers and tstorms will be at their peak later this morning into the afternoon as an upper level s/w trof moves across. Monday through Thursday Night... SW flow between 10-15 knots expected for much of the period. Afternoon sea breeze will see gusts up to 25 knots each afternoon. Seas generally 2-3 feet and increasing to 3-5 feet during the middle of next week due to prolonged fetch of SW flow and increasing southerly swell. Winds and seas begin to increase on Thursday ahead of an approaching cold front to near SCA thresholds. && .ILM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NC...None. SC...None. MARINE...None. && $$ SYNOPSIS...21 UPDATE...RGZ NEAR TERM...DCH SHORT TERM...21 LONG TERM...21 AVIATION...RGZ MARINE...DCH/21