Cold, wet rain is forecast for Hatteras and Ocracoke

The National Weather Service has backed off its wintry forecast for the southern Outer Banks, including Hatteras and Ocracoke, tonight and tomorrow as the third coastal storm in a week sweeps past the area, bringing mostly liquid precipitation.

The winter storm watch issued yesterday afternoon was cancelled earlier today and replaced with a winter storm advisory for the Outer Banks. The advisory is in effect from 7 p.m. this evening until 10 a.m. tomorrow morning.

Forecasters at the National Weather Service in Newport, N.C., said this afternoon in a webinar/conference call that the areas north of Oregon Inlet may see a light accumulation of snow or sleet when the precipitation begins this evening.  However, the coastal areas south of Oregon Inlet will see mostly, if not all, rain.

Counties on the mainland should expect snow, sleet, and ice with some accumulation, and 3 to 5 inches of snow and sleet are forecast for the more western and northern counties in the region.

Though the sun was shining this morning, temperatures barely budged — with highs only in the mid- to upper 30s — and patches of snow and the remnants of yesterday’s  snowmen remained in some shaded or sheltered areas even into the late afternoon.

Thursday is expected to be cold and rainy with highs in the low 40s and light drizzle hanging around into the afternoon.  Winds will pick up to 20 to 30 mph.

Friday and Saturday temperatures are forecast to be well below the normal for the end of February. The normal high is 55 degrees and the normal low about 41. High temperatures in the upper 30s are expected Friday and the mid-30s on Saturday.

We can look forward to temperatures more normal for this time of year early next week with the passage of another cold front and chance of rain late Tuesday into Wednesday.

You can find updated weather information and advisories at www.weather.gov/mhx/.

Here is the seven-day forecast for this evening:

TONIGHT …SNOW…SLEET AND RAIN THIS EVENING. SNOW AND RAIN AFTER
MIDNIGHT. AREAS OF FOG AFTER MIDNIGHT. SNOW AND SLEET ACCUMULATION
AROUND AN INCH…MAINLY NORTH OF OREGON INLET. WINDY WITH LOWS IN
THE MID 30S. NORTHEAST WINDS AROUND 10 MPH…INCREASING TO 15 TO
25 MPH. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION NEAR 100 PERCENT.

THURSDAY …CLOUDY. FREEZING RAIN WITH POSSIBLE SLEET…RAIN AND
DRIZZLE LIKELY IN THE MORNING…THEN A CHANCE OF RAIN WITH PATCHY
VERY LIGHT DRIZZLE IN THE AFTERNOON. LITTLE OR NO ADDITIONAL SLEET
ACCUMULATION. ICE ACCUMULATION AROUND A TRACE…MAINLY NORTH OF
OREGON INLET. WINDY WITH HIGHS IN THE UPPER 30S…EXCEPT IN THE
LOWER 40S SOUTH OF OREGON INLET. NORTH WINDS 20 TO 30 MPH. CHANCE
OF PRECIPITATION 70 PERCENT.

THURSDAY NIGHT …CLOUDY. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS
IN THE EVENING. BREEZY WITH LOWS IN THE UPPER 20S. NORTH WINDS 15 TO
20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 20 PERCENT.

FRIDAY …PARTLY SUNNY AND BREEZY. HIGHS IN THE UPPER 30S. NORTH
WINDS 15 TO 20 MPH.

FRIDAY NIGHT …PARTLY CLOUDY AND BREEZY. LOWS IN THE UPPER 20S…
EXCEPT IN THE MID 30S SOUTH OF OREGON INLET. NORTH WINDS 15 TO
20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH.

SATURDAY …PARTLY SUNNY. HIGHS IN THE MID 30S.