More high winds and flooding forecast for Outer Banks
The National Weather Service says we can expect another round of high winds and coastal flooding tonight and tomorrow as another Arctic cold front passes through the area, ushering in more frigid temperatures.
Forecasters at the Weather Service office in Newport, N.C., have issued a high wind warning and a coastal flood advisory for the Outer Banks.
And they say that we should stay tuned to the forecasts early in the week when there is a chance of a wintry mix of snow, sleet, and rain from Monday night into Wednesday.
The high wind warning is in effect from 4 p.m. this afternoon until 7 a.m. Sunday for Outer Banks Dare and Hyde counties. Sustained winds of 25 to 35 mph are expected with gusts up to 60. Gusty southwest winds this afternoon will become northwest this evening.
The coastal flood advisory is in effect from 10 p.m. this evening until 7 p.m. on Sunday. Water level rises of 2 to 3 feet above normal are expected, and there is a possibility of minor soundside flooding on Hatteras and Ocracoke islands.
There is only a 30 percent of precipitation this evening with the frontal passage. Rain showers that develop could become snow showers before ending tonight.
Tomorrow’s temperatures are forecast to be in the 20s, falling to about 20 Sunday night. Temperatures will struggle to get above freezing on Monday.
Monday night is when it could start to get interesting in coastal North Carolina.
A low pressure system is expected to develop across the Gulf Coast on Monday, then gradually move through the southeast into Tuesday. The Weather Service says the forecast is uncertain at this point, since the models differ.
How much and what kind of precipitation will depend on how the low pressure moves up the coast — right along it or slightly more offshore.
However, the possibility remains that precipitation could begin as snow Monday night, transition to a wintry mix early Tuesday morning, before becoming rain in the afternoon and changing back over to snow Tuesday night into Wednesday.
The Weather Service advises residents to continue to monitor this system. For more information and the latest advisories and forecasts, go to http://www.weather.gov/mhx/.
Here is this afternoon’s long-range forecast:
THIS AFTERNOON …SUNNY AND WINDY. NOT AS COOL WITH HIGHS IN THE
UPPER 40S. SOUTHWEST WINDS 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH.
TONIGHT …PARTLY CLOUDY. A CHANCE OF RAIN SHOWERS IN THE EVENING.
VERY WINDY WITH LOWS IN THE LOWER 20S…EXCEPT IN THE MID 20S SOUTH
OF OREGON INLET. WEST WINDS 25 TO 35 MPH…BECOMING NORTHWEST 30 TO
35 MPH AFTER MIDNIGHT. GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH. CHANCE OF RAIN
30 PERCENT.
SUNDAY …SUNNY. FREEZING SPRAY. VERY WINDY AND MUCH COOLER WITH
HIGHS IN THE UPPER 20S. NORTHWEST WINDS 25 TO 35 MPH. GUSTS UP TO
50 MPH IN THE MORNING.
SUNDAY NIGHT …MOSTLY CLEAR IN THE EVENING…THEN BECOMING PARTLY
CLOUDY. FREEZING SPRAY IN THE EVENING. WINDY AND COLD WITH LOWS
AROUND 19. NORTHWEST WINDS 20 TO 30 MPH.
WASHINGTON’S BIRTHDAY …PARTLY CLOUDY AND BRISK. HIGHS IN THE UPPER
20S…EXCEPT IN THE LOWER 30S SOUTH OF OREGON INLET. NORTHWEST WINDS
15 TO 20 MPH.
MONDAY NIGHT …PARTLY CLOUDY IN THE EVENING…THEN MOSTLY CLOUDY
WITH A CHANCE OF SNOW AND SLEET AFTER MIDNIGHT. LOWS IN THE MID 20S.
CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 50 PERCENT.
TUESDAY …SNOW AND SLEET LIKELY IN THE MORNING…THEN RAIN LIKELY
IN THE AFTERNOON. LITTLE OR NO SNOW ACCUMULATION. HIGHS IN THE LOWER
40S. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 70 PERCENT.
TUESDAY NIGHT …RAIN LIKELY IN THE EVENING…THEN RAIN AND SNOW
LIKELY AFTER MIDNIGHT. LOWS IN THE LOWER 30S. CHANCE OF
PRECIPITATION 70 PERCENT.
WEDNESDAY. ..MOSTLY CLOUDY. A CHANCE OF SNOW AND RAIN LIKELY IN THE
MORNING…THEN A CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW IN THE AFTERNOON. HIGHS IN
THE UPPER 30S. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 60 PERCENT.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT …MOSTLY CLOUDY IN THE EVENING…THEN BECOMING
PARTLY CLOUDY. LOWS IN THE LOWER 20S.
THURSDAY …PARTLY CLOUDY. HIGHS IN THE LOWER 30S.
THURSDAY NIGHT …PARTLY CLOUDY. LOWS IN THE LOWER 20S.
FRIDAY …PARTLY CLOUDY IN THE MORNING…THEN BECOMING SUNNY. HIGHS
IN THE UPPER 30S.
