203 FXUS62 KILM 220142 AFDILMArea Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Wilmington NC 942 PM EDT Sun Sep 21 2025
.SYNOPSIS... Warm and dry weather will continue through mid week with high pressure the dominant weather feature. Unsettled weather is likely late this week as a cold front approaches.
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.UPDATE... No big changes necessary from the previous forecast with this update.
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.NEAR TERM /THROUGH MONDAY/... Quiet and beautiful conditions will continue through the near term period Monday. High pressure to the northeast will keep a dry northeasterly flow in place although the axis will weaken by MOnday PM. Really no chance of showers through the period however some convective clouds have recently developed southern most zones and will monitor closely the next several hours. Lows tonight will be in the middle 60s with the seemingly persistent middle 80s once again for Monday.
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.SHORT TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/... Continued quiet weather into the short term period with sfc high pressure still over the area. A weak sea breeze Tuesday could bring at most isolated showers near the coast, but PoPs are capped at 15% due to the lack of support aloft and deep-layer moisture. Otherwise, near normal temps and partly cloudy skies with the most clouds focused towards the coast.
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.LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... Long term period starts off dry midweek with increasing rain chances thereafter for Thursday and moreso Friday as an upr- level trough and associated sfc cold front approach from the west. Guidance continues to differ a bit on where exactly the trough axis will reside, but regardless the details are nebulous out east ahead of the trough as transient shortwaves will be embedded in the SW flow aloft along with weak low-level WAA, so PoPs are in the chance range (30-50%) Thursday through Saturday as timing will be better refined as we get closer. Eventually, likely by Sunday, a drying trend will ensue as sfc high pressure builds in from the west. Temps remain near to slightly above normal through the period.
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.AVIATION /01Z MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... VFR to start off the 00Z TAF period with weak sfc high pressure, light NE wind, and a few mid/high clouds over the area. Previous thinking remains on track for late tonight, with moderate confidence for IFR stratus into early morning Monday, transitioning to MVFR in spots through mid morning. Low confidence for fog as well as LIFR stratus so kept it IFR for now in the TAFs. Another day of dry weather, partly cloudy skies, and NE winds Monday.
Extended Outlook...Early-morning low cigs/vis remain a possibility each day. Rain chances and associated vis/cig restrictions become a possibility from Thursday onward.
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.MARINE... Through Monday...NE winds on the order of a solid 15-20 knots will remain in place through most of the near term period Monday. The gradient will subside later Monday afternoon with speeds dropping off to 10-15 knots. While there have been one or two observations at 41013 just in excess of six feet feel the range of 3-5 feet is more representative of our forecast zones which reside just to the west of the buoy. The range should narrow to 3-4 feet later Monday.
Monday night through Friday...Sub-SCA conditions continue this period. The breezy NE flow on Monday will diminish through midweek as sfc high pressure moves offshore and weakens. Similarly, seas will diminish to 2-3 ft by Wednesday, continuing through Friday as winds average out of the south at 10-15 kt.
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.TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING... Tides: Minor coastal flooding is possible during each high tide early this week along the lower Cape Fear River.
Rip Currents: There is a high risk of rip currents for New Hanover and Georgetown Counties Monday due to increasing easterly swells partly associated with distant tropical cyclone Gabrielle. An elevated rip risk for east and southeast facing beaches will linger through midweek.
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.ILM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NC...High Risk for Rip Currents from 6 AM EDT Monday through Monday evening for NCZ108. SC...High Risk for Rip Currents from 6 AM EDT Monday through Monday evening for SCZ056. MARINE...None.
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SYNOPSIS...ILM UPDATE...MAS NEAR TERM...SHK SHORT TERM...MAS LONG TERM...MAS AVIATION...MAS MARINE...MAS/SHK TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING...LEW
NWS ILM Office Area Forecast Discussion