A holiday storm that impacted the Outer Banks on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day brought strong winds, heavy rains and tornado warnings, but minimal coastal flooding, per a post-storm update from the National Weather Service (NWS) Newport / Morehead City Office.
Per the storm summary, wind gusts of 70 mph were recorded in Avon on Christmas Eve, while gusts of 63 mph were recorded in Frisco, and gusts of 58 mph were recorded in Rodanthe. Heavy rains were also a hallmark of the storm, with Ocracoke recording 4.11 inches of rain, Rodanthe receiving 3.05 inches of rain, and Frisco clocking in at 2.85 inches of rain.
Following the storm, temperatures dropped to freezing overnight, and the cold weather is expected to linger throughout Saturday and Sunday as well, with overnight lows of 29 degrees currently forecast for the second night in a row. Residents are advised to take steps to prevent freezing and possible bursting of outdoor water pipes by wrapping, draining, or allowing pipes to drip slowly.
Temperatures will gradually increase to the 40s and low 50s by Sunday afternoon, and will continue to increase throughout the week.
For more information on the local forecast, visit www.weather.gov/mhx for weather information, or the National Weather Service office in Newport / Morehead City’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/NWSMoreheadCity/.
