UPDATE: The National Weather Service in Wilmington issued a storm warning for adjacent coastal waters and a hurricane force wind warning for offshore waters Sunday morning.
A wind advisory is still in effect until 10 p.m. Sunday for New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender counties, with gusts up to 50 miles per hour possible. Residents must beware of trees and other things that can be knocked over, and there may be power outages throughout the region. The winds are expected to die down Sunday evening.
A flood watch is also still in effect until 7 p.m. Sunday for the same counties. One to two inches of rain is expected throughout the day but could be heavier in some areas, especially along the coast.
There is still a small chance for a wintry mix, but the probability of snow has decreased since yesterday. The precipitation is expected to end Sunday night. Temperature will remain in the 30s.
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While “confidence is low” that the coastal parts of the Carolinas will see snow Sunday, a flood watch and wind advisory have been issued for all of New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender counties as well as others in the area.
One to three inches of rain is expected along the coast, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington, with less anticipated further inland. Due to recent heavy rain events, the ground is already saturated, making flooding a potential threat, especially in low-lying and coastal areas.
Wind gusts of up to 45 miles per hour are possible and will be the strongest in the morning and afternoon before dying down Sunday night. The winds will come from a northerly direction after 10 a.m. Sunday and from the west as they diminish Sunday night. Trees and other tall objects could be blown over, and power outages are possible.
As of Saturday afternoon the probability for accumulating snow of less than one inch is 30 to 40 percent for the greater Wilmington area but only 10 to 30 percent for the beaches. A chance for wintry mix is possible starting Sunday morning and ending later that night.
A gale warning and storm warning issued Saturday morning for coastal and offshore waters, respectively, remain in effect. Waves could exceed 20 feet in open waters, and blow-out tides could cause vessels to run aground in shallow waters such as channels and the Intra-coastal Waterway.
