Marine Weather and Tide Forecast for Sunset Beach, NC

UPDATE
Forecast on track for mainly clear weather tonight, and winds to back to the SW ahead of a cold front. This will also maintain winds above 5 kts overnight and then veering to the N and increasing up over 10 kts near daybreak. Updated aviation discussion below

NEAR TERM /THROUGH WEDNESDAY/
Winds grow lighter and back in direction tonight as a poorly defined cold front approaches from the NW. This boundary moves through around daybreak veering winds back to northerly but without much in the way of increased observed speeds. Even so the CAA following the boundary will cap highs in the low 40s, some 15 degrees below normal. Apparent temperatures will spend the day in the 30s.

SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/
The period will be defined by temperatures warming to near seasonable and dry weather. Wednesday night will be coldest as we deal with weakening CAA behind the near term front. Lows will be in the lower 20s with some spots in the teens. A passing shortwave could bring some clouds to our south but otherwise the nighttime should be clear with little wind, cold spots possibly cooling into the lower to mid teens. Thursday we'll see the larger trough axis aloft move overhead with SW flow ahead of it and decent WAA through the day. Highs will climb into the 50s. The trough axis should move offshore by nighttime, lows in the upper 20s.

LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/
Increased warming and rain chances expected through the first half of the weekend as we sit in mid-level ridging and deep WAA ahead of a low pressure system. Shower chances will start to increase late Friday night as PWATs increase into Saturday morning to near 1-1.5".
Rain chances will persist into Sunday as a cold front approaches from the west. The front should move through sometime Sunday night into Monday. Some dryness could be expected behind the front between Monday and Tuesday before moisture starts to increase again with the next system from the Gulf, but uncertainty is high on when it will arrive. Have added the mention of non-liquid precip Tuesday as cold high pressure ridging down from the north meets increased moisture from the south ahead of the system. Early next week should be interesting!

AVIATION /00Z TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/
VFR with clear skies. FM groups only needed to address winds backing to the SW and remaining about 5 to 10 kts overnight ahead of a dry cold front. The front will move through near day break around 10-12z bringing winds back to a more northerly direction and picking up to 10 to 15 kts through Wed.

Extended Outlook... VFR through the end of the week. Flight restrictions expected with rain and a cold front this weekend.

MARINE
Through Wednesday... A weak cold front approaches tonight backing winds from their current NWrly direction. The boundary moves through with little other than another direction change, this time to northerly. A brief period of advisory winds could still develop whereas the offshore fetch keeps seas below thresholds. No changes have been made to the current existing headline.

Wednesday Night through Sunday... Benign marine conditions to start out with increasing S/SW winds Thursday due to a disturbance aloft, possible infrequent gusts around 25 kts.
Lighter/variable flow as high pressure moves overhead Friday with 10- 15 kt SW flow through the rest of the period as it pushes offshore ahead of a cold front. Seas generally 1-3 ft except for an increase to 3-5 ft Thursday night with the passing disturbance and increasing winds.

ILM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
NC...None.
SC...None.
MARINE...Small Craft Advisory from 1 AM to 10 AM EST Wednesday for AMZ250-252.