Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Newport/Morehead, NC

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139 FXUS62 KMHX 211900 AFDMHX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Newport/Morehead City NC 300 PM EDT Fri Jun 21 2024 .SYNOPSIS...
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Coastal troughing continues through Sunday, while high pressure shifts offshore over the weekend, and continuing into the upcoming week. A front approaches on Monday, with another front affecting the region on Thursday.
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&& .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
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As of 3 PM Fri...Diurnal iso/sct showers will end by early evening, with quiet/warm/muggy conditions tonight. Main challenge tonight will be fog coverage and density tonight. HREF cont a 20-40% chance of more impactful fog developing (<1/2 mile), and this will be something we`ll continue to monitor in later forecasts. For now, have patchy fog mentioned generally west of Hwy 17. Used persistence from last night`s fog, affecting the swrn counties the hardest. If more of a low stratus deck develops instead, this would tend to limit the dense fog potential. A renegade offshore shower may migrate onshore, esp late tonight.
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&& .SHORT TERM /SATURDAY/...
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As of 3 PM Fri...Similar synoptic setup for Sat expected, with some iso/sct coastal showers developing in the morning and migrating inland through the day. Think that areas north of Hwy 70 will remain mainly dry once again. No thunder fcst once again, as forcing is very weak and not much upper support despite some decent instability vals. Warm and humid with highs in the mid 90s northwest, to low 90s elsewhere inland, and 80s coast. Heat indices will not be an issue, and generally remain at 100 or lower.
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&& .LONG TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/...
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As of 4 AM Friday... Sunday...Surface high pressure over the Atlantic continues to travel east, which will put ENC under southwesterly flow and start a warming and moistening trend. Along the east coast, coastal troughing will develop and last through the weekend. The main lacking ingredient for a much needed widespread rainfall event is instability, so the majority of shower and thunderstorm activity will likely develop along the seabreeze. Of more concern is the oppressive heat, especially on Sunday, when "feels like" temperatures are expected to reach 100-105F. Monday-Friday...We`ll remain mostly under southerly flow, which will pump in ample moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and increase humidity to uncomfortable levels. Diurnal PoPs are in the forecast each day but better chances will be on Monday and Thursday due to a series of frontal passages. The main points of focus for the coming week will be triple digit "feels like" temperatures and the potential for strong to marginally severe storms on Monday. - Dangerous Heat: With increasing heat and humidity, heat indices will reach the upper 90s to low 100s each day this week. This raises concern for heat related illnesses for those spending time outdoors. No heat headlines are in place as of now, but trends will be monitored. - Monday Storms: Instability and deep layer shear look to be plentiful across the area. If this holds, some strong to severe storms are possible.
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&& .AVIATION /19Z FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
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SHORT TERM /through 06z Saturday/... As of 2 PM Fri...SCT/BKN diurnal strato cu with a few showers for srn terminals will wane with loss of heating tonight. Moistening low-levels plus calm to light winds later tonight looks to be supportive of IFR conditions (either from low CIGs or BR/FG). For now, have kept skies in the IFR range with only MVFR BR, per latest HREF probs, but will have to monitor for some potential dense fog as has happened last night for southern TAF sites (KEWN and KOAJ). LONG TERM /Sun through Tuesday/... As of 4 AM Friday...SHRA and TSRA development are possible each day along the seabreeze. Monday will present the best opportunity for sub- VFR conditions given an environment that could support strong to marginally severe storms. Winds will generally be SW with 20 kt gusts possible late Sunday.
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&& .MARINE...
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SHORT TERM /through Sat/... As of 3 PM Fri...Shra will cont to dot the srn coastal waters through tonight into Sun as weak tropical disturbance well to the south ambles near the GA coast. Winds will be light srly tonight generally around 10 kt with seas subsiding to 2-4 ft. Winds pick up on Sat as thermal gradient tightens and high pres shifts further offshore, with speeds of 10-20 kt by later in the afternoon. Seas will cont around 2-4 ft. LONG TERM /Saturday night through Tuesday/... As of 4 AM Friday...Sub-SCA conditions will persist until Sunday when SW winds increase to 15-20 kt with gusts to 25 kt. Seas will be 2-3 ft on Saturday and build to 3-5 by later Sunday. The new week will continue similar conditions with gusts possibly dipping just below SCA criteria. Conditions improve Tuesday after a cold front passes through, which will generate variable winds at 10 kt or less and 3-4 ft seas diminishing to 2-3 ft. Afternoon showers and thunderstorms are possible each day but Monday presents the best chance for some to be stronger to marginally severe.
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&& .FIRE WEATHER...
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As of 3 PM Fri...A coastal trough will continue through Sunday, with higher RH and some isolated to scattered showers for coastal counties. Inland, it will cont hot and dry through the weekend, with lower RH. Winds will be southerly on Saturday, then increase on Sunday and become gusty with speeds up to 20 mph. RH will steadily increase each day as well, with minimum RH values in the 40s and 50s. Despite the increasing RH, fine fuels remain very dry thanks to a lack of appreciable rainfall of late, and this will overlap with breezy conditions on Sunday, potentially supporting elevated fire concerns. For the area at large, the better chance of wetting rainfall comes Monday. From a climatology standpoint, the recent stretch of dry weather is noteworthy. For most of Eastern NC, it`s been at least 2 weeks since the last wetting rainfall. For a deeper rainfall (ie. 0.25" or more), it`s been almost a month for most of the area.
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&& .MHX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NC...Beach Hazards Statement until 8 PM EDT this evening for NCZ195- 196-199-203>205. MARINE...None. && $$ SYNOPSIS...MHX NEAR TERM...TL SHORT TERM...TL LONG TERM...CQD/OJC AVIATION...TL/OJC MARINE...TL/OJC FIRE WEATHER...MHX