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Tropical Update: The tropics are beginning to get more active. Watching!

ncwxauthority

August 11, 2026 at 2:20:12 PM

šŸŒ€ Tropical Update: Good afternoon, everyone. I'm sure everyone is sick of working on this fine Tuesday, so as you take your scroll break from work, I thought you'd love to read my tropical update. In true fashion as we head toward the start of schools/colleges, the tropics are coming alive, and this year is no different. I am, and forecasters at the National Hurricane Center are monitoring two main areas for potential tropical development in the Atlantic Ocean and two areas in the Pacific Ocean, with one showing a potential threat to Hawaii.


In the Atlantic, we have an area of disturbed weather in the North Atlantic moving away from the United States that has a low chance 20% of some Tropical Development over the next 5-7 days, but does not pose any threat to NC!


Down in the Main Development Region of the Atlantic, we've had several tropical waves that are moving off Africa over the next 5-10 days, and some are trying to show signs of development. There is now a 70% from the National Hurricane Center that a Tropical Depression or Storm will develop in this area. There remains high wind shear and dry air, so it'll face an uphill battle as it moves generally westward across the Atlantic. Since the system has not even developed, let's take models with a grain of salt and not jump to too many conclusions, but the threat to North Carolina at this point is rather low. So there's no reason to worry at this point.


Image 2: Is a graphic I created to give you an idea how long it takes tropical systems to travel across the Atlantic Ocean (NOT A FORECAST), just an example. This location is 10-14 days away, and it may not even survive the trek across. There could be some enhanced moisture to parts of the Caribbean Islands which they very much need.


Over in the Pacific, there is an area of disturbed weather over 1k miles east southeast of the Hawaiian Islands that has a high chance of becoming a Tropical Depression or Storm. Interests in the Hawaiian Islands should closely


monitor the progress of this system.


I'll keep you posted all season long; nothing to worry about right now in NC!

Mountains

110°F

Raleigh area

CADEN NELSON

CADEN NELSON

Wednesday: Scattered showers around first then maybe a risk of strong to severe storms.

Apr 28
1 min read

Hey everyone, let's talk about the Wednesday forecast. There could be a couple of strong-to-severe storms on Wednesday afternoon, especially across the Central/Northern parts of Eastern NC, but it is far from certain! I'll explain that a shortwave will move through the state tomorrow morning, early morning across the mountains and foothills, and through the morning across Central and Eastern sections. It'll bring clouds and scattered showers, no severe weather expected with this round.


šŸ“ŒThis could limit destabilization that would result in really no severe weather threat on Wednesday afternoon, but models handle this usually horribly.


-IF* the atmosphere is able to recover on Wednesday afternoon, there will be some upper-level ingredients from a strengthening upper-level jet due to the incoming cold front. This could result in widely scattered showers and thunderstorms developing across the Central/Northern sections of the state, then pushing east in the late afternoon and into the evening.


šŸ“ŒThere could be a limited severe weather threat with an isolated damaging winds threat or even a brief tornado threat, but that is IF storms are able to redevelop. So what we're hoping for on Wednesday afternoon is clouds and cooler temps, and not sunshine and warmer temps. So we will watch the further north you are in the state, the better chance of an isolated severe storm on Wednesday afternoon/evening, early overnight. No, even if storms form, not everyone will see them.


- As always, I'll be watching and keep you posted on my thoughts and the trends over the next 24 hours, no reason to panic by any means!


-Ethan

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