You heard it right. The Outer Banks is in for another coastal low pressure system this weekend, probably Saturday night into Sunday.
However, as of late Tuesday afternoon, meteorologists at the National Weather Service office in Newport, N.C., were beginning to downgrade the low’s impact.
“It’s not looking quite as strong,” said forecaster John Elardo. ” Right now, I’d say minimal impacts,”
Elardo said forecasters are “very confident” that a low pressure system is going to form off the southeast coast on Saturday.
Models are predicting the storm will move north and northeast just off the North Carolina coast Saturday night into Sunday morning.
Earlier in the week, Elardo said, the models were showing a fairly strong system. By late today, he said, it’s not looking as robust.
Currently, he said that models are predicting a short period of easterly winds — maybe 20 to 25 knots — but that the system looks as if it will move quickly off to the northeast, with the wind going more northerly by Sunday morning.
However, Elardo added that coastal residents should stay tuned into the forecast.
“This time of year,” he said, “the trend is that a small change in the pattern aloft can make a bigger change in the impacts.”
For sure, Saturday into Saturday evening will be rainy, probably with small-craft conditions.
For the latest information and for any updates or advisories later in the week, go to the Newport NWS website at http://www.weather.gov/mhx/.
