Marine Weather and Tide Forecast for Charleston, SC
April 18, 2024 11:02 AM EDT (15:02 UTC) Change Location
 | Sunrise 6:44 AM Sunset 7:53 PM Moonrise 2:17 PM Moonset 3:17 AM |
AMZ330 Charleston Harbor- 1003 Am Edt Thu Apr 18 2024
Rest of today - SW winds 5 to 10 kt.
Tonight - SW winds 5 to 10 kt.
Fri - SW winds 5 kt, becoming S 10 to 15 kt in the afternoon. A slight chance of showers and tstms in the afternoon.
Fri night - SW winds 5 to 10 kt. A slight chance of showers and tstms.
Sat - SW winds 5 to 10 kt. A chance of showers and tstms in the afternoon.
Sat night - SW winds 5 to 10 kt, becoming N after midnight. A chance of showers and tstms.
Sun - NE winds 10 to 15 kt. A chance of showers and tstms.
Sun night - NE winds 10 to 15 kt. Showers likely with a chance of tstms.
Mon - NE winds 10 to 15 kt. A slight chance of showers.
Mon night - NE winds 10 to 15 kt.
winds and waves higher in and near tstms.
unless otherwise noted, waves 1 foot or less.
charleston harbor water temperature 68 degrees.
winds and waves higher in and near tstms.
unless otherwise noted, waves 1 foot or less.
charleston harbor water temperature 68 degrees.
AMZ300 1003 Am Edt Thu Apr 18 2024
Synopsis for the coastal waters of south coastal south carolina and north coastal georgia - High pressure will persist through tonight. A slow moving front will bring unsettled weather to our area Friday through early next week. High pressure returns by the middle of next week.
Area Discussion for - Charleston, SC
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FXUS62 KCHS 181407 AFDCHS
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Charleston SC 1007 AM EDT Thu Apr 18 2024
SYNOPSIS
High pressure will persist through tonight. A slow moving front will bring unsettled weather to our area Friday through early next week. High pressure returns by the middle of next week.
NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/
No major changes made with the mid-morning update, forecast is on track.
Today: Aloft, zonal flow between broad ridging across the Gulf of Mexico and weak troughing exiting off the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast coast will favor a west-northwest flow early, before ridging becomes stronger across the local area this afternoon. At the sfc, high pressure across the western Atlantic will maintain a hold across the Southeast, while slowly nudging south as a weak trough exits further offshore to the north. The pattern will favor another day of dry weather conditions with ample sun across most areas once a band of cirrus shifts offshore late morning. Strong sfc heating along with light southwest winds tipping more west by mid-late morning suggests high temps to become a few degrees warmer than the previous day, especially if a seabreeze remains somewhat pinned near the coast into early afternoon hours. Latest 1000-850mb thicknesses favor highs in the upper 80s to potentially around 90 degrees inland.
Closer to the coast, highs should peak in the upper 70s to lower 80s.
Tonight: High pressure will prevail across the local area well ahead of a front advancing eastward across the Great Lakes region and Deep South late. Conditions will remain dry through the night with less cirrus in place than the previous night. Winds will also remain light from the southwest and/or go calm late while a fair amount of radiational cooling takes place. Overnight lows should range in the low-mid 60s, coolest across inland areas of southeast South Carolina.
SHORT TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/
Friday: Mid-level ridging over the East Coast in the morning will shift offshore into the afternoon. Zonal flow then develops in the evening and persists overnight. Surface High pressure located to our southeast in the morning will move away into the afternoon.
Meanwhile, a trough will form along the coast. At the same time, a cold front will approach from the northwest. The front should reach our inland counties around daybreak Saturday. Moisture creeps higher ahead of the front, with PWATs rising to ~1.5" in the afternoon.
Synoptic models and the long range CAMS indicate scattered convection developing in the afternoon. One area will be well ahead of the front, inland and moving towards the coast. The other area will be associated with the afternoon sea breeze, moving inland.
Skies will start out mostly sunny, which will allow temperatures to rapidly rise. The combination of warm 850 mb temperatures and low- level thickness values support well above normal highs in the upper 80s to lower 90s, except cooler at the beaches. These temperatures will generate some instability in the afternoon, with MLCAPEs exceeding 800 J/kg in some spots. Shear is weak in the 0-1 km, but increases in the 0-6 km layer. DCAPEs exceed 800 J/kg across portions of our area. Therefore, a few marginally severe storms with damaging winds and/or large hail are possible. Locally heavy rainfall is also possible. The SPC has the Charleston Tri- County under a Marginal Risk for severe thunderstorms, and this seems reasonable, and the spot we're most likely to have the most convection. Any convection will dissipate in the evening, with it becoming dry after midnight. Lows will be very mild, generally in the 60s.
Saturday: The mid-levels will consist of zonal flow over our region.
Though, heights will gradually lower with time. At the surface, a cold front located across our inland zones at daybreak will slowly move southeast across our area during the day and into the evening, becoming located just to our south and southeast overnight. Plenty of moisture will remain in place in the vicinity of the front, with PWATs ranging from 1.25-1.5". The combination of lift from the front and the afternoon sea breeze trying to move inland will generate scattered convection in the afternoon. Before the convection develops, highs will peak well above normal, generally in the upper 80s to around 90 degrees, except cooler at the beaches. This heat will provide enough instability, with MLCAPEs exceeding 1,000 J/kg in some spots. Shear remains weak in the 0-1 km, but increases in the 0-6 km layer. DCAPEs also exceed 1,000 J/kg across portions of our area. Therefore, a few marginally severe storms with damaging winds and/or large hail are possible. Locally heavy rainfall is also possible. The strongest convection will dissipate around sunset. But remnant showers and thunderstorms should persist most of the evening and overnight. Lows will generally be in the 60s.
Sunday: Mid-level troughing will start to develop over the Southeast U.S. as the day progresses. A surface front will be located to our south and southeast during the day, possibly with a trough situated across our area. Lots of moisture will remain in place around the vicinity of the front, and into our area. An impulse of energy is forecasted to move along the front during the day, tapping into lift from the front, the afternoon sea breeze, and the moisture to generate numerous convection in the afternoon. The details will still need to be refined with future forecasts. But it's certainly looking more wet than dry, with locally heavy rainfall a concern, especially if there's lots of rainfall the previous two days.
Temperatures will be cooler than the previous two days, generally within a few degrees of normal.
LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/
Mid-level troughing will persist over the Southeast U.S. into Monday, then shift offshore Monday night. Zonal flow returns on Tuesday, followed by weak longwave troughing over the East Coast on Wednesday. A surface front located just off our coast Sunday night will bring numerous showers to our area. Showers will end from west to east on Monday, as drier air moves in from the west. High pressure will then bring dry conditions through Wednesday.
AVIATION /14Z THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/
VFR conditions will prevail at CHS/JZI/SAV terminals through 12Z Friday.
Extended Aviation Outlook: A slow moving front should bring occasional flight restrictions Friday through Sunday. Flight restrictions are looking most likely late Sunday.
MARINE
Today and Tonight: High pressure will remain the dominant weather feature across local waters while a weak trough exits further offshore across the western Atlantic to our north. The pattern will support quiet weather conditions across local waters with southwest winds generally around 10 kt or less this morning turning south and increasing to 10-15 kt this afternoon as a seabreeze takes shape and eventually shifts inland. The seabreeze could briefly result in southerly winds gusting up to 20 kt along the Charleston County coast and across the Charleston Harbor this afternoon, before winds decrease late afternoon into early evening. Winds should tip back south-southwest overnight and remain at or below 10 kt while high pressure prevails. Seas will range between 2-3 ft through tonight.
Friday: Surface High pressure located to our Southeast in the morning will move away into the afternoon. Meanwhile, a cold front will approach from the northwest, reaching our land areas around daybreak Saturday. In the morning, expect backing winds, followed by gusty winds along the land/sea interface in the afternoon due to the formation of the sea breeze. Gusts should be around 20 kt in the Charleston Harbor with its passage. In the evening, winds will veer and increase as some coastal jetting develops overnight.
Weekend into next week: A cold front located across our inland zones at daybreak Saturday will slowly move southeast across our area Saturday. It'll be spread across our waters Saturday night, then shift further offshore by Sunday night or Monday morning. Winds and seas don't appear to be high enough to prompt Small Craft Advisories. Expect southerly/southwesterly flow ahead of the front and northerly/northeasterly flow behind it. High pressure will build in behind the front.
CHS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
GA...None.
SC...None.
MARINE...None.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Charleston SC 1007 AM EDT Thu Apr 18 2024
SYNOPSIS
High pressure will persist through tonight. A slow moving front will bring unsettled weather to our area Friday through early next week. High pressure returns by the middle of next week.
NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/
No major changes made with the mid-morning update, forecast is on track.
Today: Aloft, zonal flow between broad ridging across the Gulf of Mexico and weak troughing exiting off the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast coast will favor a west-northwest flow early, before ridging becomes stronger across the local area this afternoon. At the sfc, high pressure across the western Atlantic will maintain a hold across the Southeast, while slowly nudging south as a weak trough exits further offshore to the north. The pattern will favor another day of dry weather conditions with ample sun across most areas once a band of cirrus shifts offshore late morning. Strong sfc heating along with light southwest winds tipping more west by mid-late morning suggests high temps to become a few degrees warmer than the previous day, especially if a seabreeze remains somewhat pinned near the coast into early afternoon hours. Latest 1000-850mb thicknesses favor highs in the upper 80s to potentially around 90 degrees inland.
Closer to the coast, highs should peak in the upper 70s to lower 80s.
Tonight: High pressure will prevail across the local area well ahead of a front advancing eastward across the Great Lakes region and Deep South late. Conditions will remain dry through the night with less cirrus in place than the previous night. Winds will also remain light from the southwest and/or go calm late while a fair amount of radiational cooling takes place. Overnight lows should range in the low-mid 60s, coolest across inland areas of southeast South Carolina.
SHORT TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/
Friday: Mid-level ridging over the East Coast in the morning will shift offshore into the afternoon. Zonal flow then develops in the evening and persists overnight. Surface High pressure located to our southeast in the morning will move away into the afternoon.
Meanwhile, a trough will form along the coast. At the same time, a cold front will approach from the northwest. The front should reach our inland counties around daybreak Saturday. Moisture creeps higher ahead of the front, with PWATs rising to ~1.5" in the afternoon.
Synoptic models and the long range CAMS indicate scattered convection developing in the afternoon. One area will be well ahead of the front, inland and moving towards the coast. The other area will be associated with the afternoon sea breeze, moving inland.
Skies will start out mostly sunny, which will allow temperatures to rapidly rise. The combination of warm 850 mb temperatures and low- level thickness values support well above normal highs in the upper 80s to lower 90s, except cooler at the beaches. These temperatures will generate some instability in the afternoon, with MLCAPEs exceeding 800 J/kg in some spots. Shear is weak in the 0-1 km, but increases in the 0-6 km layer. DCAPEs exceed 800 J/kg across portions of our area. Therefore, a few marginally severe storms with damaging winds and/or large hail are possible. Locally heavy rainfall is also possible. The SPC has the Charleston Tri- County under a Marginal Risk for severe thunderstorms, and this seems reasonable, and the spot we're most likely to have the most convection. Any convection will dissipate in the evening, with it becoming dry after midnight. Lows will be very mild, generally in the 60s.
Saturday: The mid-levels will consist of zonal flow over our region.
Though, heights will gradually lower with time. At the surface, a cold front located across our inland zones at daybreak will slowly move southeast across our area during the day and into the evening, becoming located just to our south and southeast overnight. Plenty of moisture will remain in place in the vicinity of the front, with PWATs ranging from 1.25-1.5". The combination of lift from the front and the afternoon sea breeze trying to move inland will generate scattered convection in the afternoon. Before the convection develops, highs will peak well above normal, generally in the upper 80s to around 90 degrees, except cooler at the beaches. This heat will provide enough instability, with MLCAPEs exceeding 1,000 J/kg in some spots. Shear remains weak in the 0-1 km, but increases in the 0-6 km layer. DCAPEs also exceed 1,000 J/kg across portions of our area. Therefore, a few marginally severe storms with damaging winds and/or large hail are possible. Locally heavy rainfall is also possible. The strongest convection will dissipate around sunset. But remnant showers and thunderstorms should persist most of the evening and overnight. Lows will generally be in the 60s.
Sunday: Mid-level troughing will start to develop over the Southeast U.S. as the day progresses. A surface front will be located to our south and southeast during the day, possibly with a trough situated across our area. Lots of moisture will remain in place around the vicinity of the front, and into our area. An impulse of energy is forecasted to move along the front during the day, tapping into lift from the front, the afternoon sea breeze, and the moisture to generate numerous convection in the afternoon. The details will still need to be refined with future forecasts. But it's certainly looking more wet than dry, with locally heavy rainfall a concern, especially if there's lots of rainfall the previous two days.
Temperatures will be cooler than the previous two days, generally within a few degrees of normal.
LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/
Mid-level troughing will persist over the Southeast U.S. into Monday, then shift offshore Monday night. Zonal flow returns on Tuesday, followed by weak longwave troughing over the East Coast on Wednesday. A surface front located just off our coast Sunday night will bring numerous showers to our area. Showers will end from west to east on Monday, as drier air moves in from the west. High pressure will then bring dry conditions through Wednesday.
AVIATION /14Z THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/
VFR conditions will prevail at CHS/JZI/SAV terminals through 12Z Friday.
Extended Aviation Outlook: A slow moving front should bring occasional flight restrictions Friday through Sunday. Flight restrictions are looking most likely late Sunday.
MARINE
Today and Tonight: High pressure will remain the dominant weather feature across local waters while a weak trough exits further offshore across the western Atlantic to our north. The pattern will support quiet weather conditions across local waters with southwest winds generally around 10 kt or less this morning turning south and increasing to 10-15 kt this afternoon as a seabreeze takes shape and eventually shifts inland. The seabreeze could briefly result in southerly winds gusting up to 20 kt along the Charleston County coast and across the Charleston Harbor this afternoon, before winds decrease late afternoon into early evening. Winds should tip back south-southwest overnight and remain at or below 10 kt while high pressure prevails. Seas will range between 2-3 ft through tonight.
Friday: Surface High pressure located to our Southeast in the morning will move away into the afternoon. Meanwhile, a cold front will approach from the northwest, reaching our land areas around daybreak Saturday. In the morning, expect backing winds, followed by gusty winds along the land/sea interface in the afternoon due to the formation of the sea breeze. Gusts should be around 20 kt in the Charleston Harbor with its passage. In the evening, winds will veer and increase as some coastal jetting develops overnight.
Weekend into next week: A cold front located across our inland zones at daybreak Saturday will slowly move southeast across our area Saturday. It'll be spread across our waters Saturday night, then shift further offshore by Sunday night or Monday morning. Winds and seas don't appear to be high enough to prompt Small Craft Advisories. Expect southerly/southwesterly flow ahead of the front and northerly/northeasterly flow behind it. High pressure will build in behind the front.
CHS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
GA...None.
SC...None.
MARINE...None.
| Stations | Dist | Age | Wind | Air Temp | Water Temp | Waves | inHg | DewPt |
| CHTS1 | 0 mi | 45 min | S 4.1G | 74°F | 68°F | 30.10 | ||
| 41029 - Capers Nearshore (CAP 2) | 16 mi | 55 min | SW 5.8G | 68°F | 30.09 | 67°F | ||
| 41065 | 17 mi | 41 min | 2 ft | |||||
| 41076 | 22 mi | 61 min | 3 ft | |||||
| ACXS1 - ACE Basin Reserve, SC | 32 mi | 78 min | SW 1 | 76°F | 30.09 | 66°F | ||
| 41067 | 43 mi | 63 min | 69°F | 2 ft | ||||
| 41004 - EDISTO - 41 NM Southeast of Charleston, SC | 48 mi | 33 min | SW 7.8G | 69°F | 68°F | 30.12 | 68°F |
toggle option: (graph/table)
Airport Reports
EDIT (hide/show) Help Click EDIT to display multiple airports. Follow links for more data.| Airport | Dist | Age | Wind kt | Vis | Sky | Weather | Temp | DewPt | RH | inHg |
| KJZI CHARLESTON EXECUTIVE,SC | 7 sm | 27 min | S 06 | 10 sm | Clear | 81°F | 68°F | 66% | 30.10 | |
| KCHS CHARLESTON AFB/INTL,SC | 10 sm | 66 min | var 04 | 10 sm | A Few Clouds | 79°F | 64°F | 61% | 30.09 | |
| KLRO MT PLEASANT RGNLFAISON FIELD,SC | 11 sm | 27 min | calm | 6 sm | Clear | Haze | 77°F | 70°F | 78% | 30.09 |
Charleston
Click for Map
Thu -- 04:17 AM EDT Moonset
Thu -- 04:54 AM EDT 4.95 feet High Tide
Thu -- 06:45 AM EDT Sunrise
Thu -- 11:11 AM EDT 0.91 feet Low Tide
Thu -- 03:16 PM EDT Moonrise
Thu -- 05:29 PM EDT 4.71 feet High Tide
Thu -- 07:52 PM EDT Sunset
Thu -- 11:28 PM EDT 0.81 feet Low Tide
Tide / Current data from XTide NOT FOR NAVIGATION
Click for Map
Thu -- 04:17 AM EDT Moonset
Thu -- 04:54 AM EDT 4.95 feet High Tide
Thu -- 06:45 AM EDT Sunrise
Thu -- 11:11 AM EDT 0.91 feet Low Tide
Thu -- 03:16 PM EDT Moonrise
Thu -- 05:29 PM EDT 4.71 feet High Tide
Thu -- 07:52 PM EDT Sunset
Thu -- 11:28 PM EDT 0.81 feet Low Tide
Tide / Current data from XTide NOT FOR NAVIGATION
Charleston, South Carolina, Tide feet
| 12 am |
| 1.5 |
| 1 am |
| 2.4 |
| 2 am |
| 3.3 |
| 3 am |
| 4.1 |
| 4 am |
| 4.7 |
| 5 am |
| 4.9 |
| 6 am |
| 4.7 |
| 7 am |
| 4 |
| 8 am |
| 3.1 |
| 9 am |
| 2.1 |
| 10 am |
| 1.3 |
| 11 am |
| 0.9 |
| 12 pm |
| 1.1 |
| 1 pm |
| 1.7 |
| 2 pm |
| 2.6 |
| 3 pm |
| 3.4 |
| 4 pm |
| 4.2 |
| 5 pm |
| 4.6 |
| 6 pm |
| 4.6 |
| 7 pm |
| 4.2 |
| 8 pm |
| 3.4 |
| 9 pm |
| 2.4 |
| 10 pm |
| 1.5 |
| 11 pm |
| 0.9 |
Charleston Harbor Entrance
Click for Map
Thu -- 01:20 AM EDT 0.97 knots Max Flood
Thu -- 04:17 AM EDT Moonset
Thu -- 05:14 AM EDT -0.00 knots Slack
Thu -- 06:45 AM EDT Sunrise
Thu -- 08:40 AM EDT -1.65 knots Max Ebb
Thu -- 11:46 AM EDT 0.00 knots Slack
Thu -- 01:51 PM EDT 1.01 knots Max Flood
Thu -- 03:16 PM EDT Moonrise
Thu -- 05:47 PM EDT -0.00 knots Slack
Thu -- 07:52 PM EDT Sunset
Thu -- 09:08 PM EDT -1.66 knots Max Ebb
Tide / Current data from XTide NOT FOR NAVIGATION
Click for Map
Thu -- 01:20 AM EDT 0.97 knots Max Flood
Thu -- 04:17 AM EDT Moonset
Thu -- 05:14 AM EDT -0.00 knots Slack
Thu -- 06:45 AM EDT Sunrise
Thu -- 08:40 AM EDT -1.65 knots Max Ebb
Thu -- 11:46 AM EDT 0.00 knots Slack
Thu -- 01:51 PM EDT 1.01 knots Max Flood
Thu -- 03:16 PM EDT Moonrise
Thu -- 05:47 PM EDT -0.00 knots Slack
Thu -- 07:52 PM EDT Sunset
Thu -- 09:08 PM EDT -1.66 knots Max Ebb
Tide / Current data from XTide NOT FOR NAVIGATION
Charleston Harbor Entrance, South Carolina Current, knots
| 12 am |
| 0.5 |
| 1 am |
| 0.9 |
| 2 am |
| 0.9 |
| 3 am |
| 0.8 |
| 4 am |
| 0.6 |
| 5 am |
| 0.1 |
| 6 am |
| -0.5 |
| 7 am |
| -1.1 |
| 8 am |
| -1.5 |
| 9 am |
| -1.6 |
| 10 am |
| -1.3 |
| 11 am |
| -0.7 |
| 12 pm |
| 0.2 |
| 1 pm |
| 0.9 |
| 2 pm |
| 1 |
| 3 pm |
| 0.9 |
| 4 pm |
| 0.8 |
| 5 pm |
| 0.5 |
| 6 pm |
| -0.1 |
| 7 pm |
| -0.8 |
| 8 pm |
| -1.4 |
| 9 pm |
| -1.7 |
| 10 pm |
| -1.5 |
| 11 pm |
| -1 |
Charleston, SC,
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