Rough surf, breezy Monday on the Outer Banks; Ocracoke resume operations

High tide in Corolla. [courtesy Currituck County]

UPDATED, 12:15 p.m.: The Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry will resume operations at 1 p.m., while the Ocracoke-mainland routes will be able to make their afternoon runs.

EARLIER STORY:
A pesky weather system continues to bring gusty winds and a few rain showers to kickoff the work week, and the breezy conditions led to delays on all three Ocracoke ferry routes.

Northeast winds of 20 to 30 mph, with higher gusts at times, forced the N.C. Ferry Service to suspend operations on the Hatteras Inlet, Swan Quarter and Ceder Island routes this morning.

Live view from Hatteras village ferry dock:

A coastal flood advisory is in effect through through Tuesday afternoon, as the onshore flow combined with higher than normal tides due to the new moon, will lead to water levels of 1 to 2 feet above ground.

Minor ocean overwash and minor erosion especially along the east-facing beaches from Corolla to Buxton, but no travel issues are expected along N.C. 12 on Hatteras and Ocracoke.

Live video from Corolla, courtesy Twiddy & Co.:

Those trying to drive on the beaches north of Corolla to and from Swan Beach and Carova may run into issues due to waves running up to the dunes with the afternoon high tide, which is between 12 and 2 p.m.

The Town of Nags Head has closed their beaches to off-road vehicles due to the high surf, while the beach between Eighth Street and Clark Street in Kill Devil Hills is also closed to ORVs due to the conditions.

No Swimming flags are also flying due to the continued strong longshore current and a high risk of rip currents.

The National Hurricane Center is monitoring two tropical waves, one southeast of the Windward Islands and the other over the eastern Caribbean Sea.

Both have a low chance of development over the next five days and no direct impacts are currently expected to the North Carolina coast from either of these systems.

The weather is expected to slowly improve along the Outer Banks over the next couple of days, with warm, dry conditions into the weekend.

National Weather Service forecast for Nags Head, as of Monday 10 a.m.:

Today
A slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 76. Breezy, with a north wind 18 to 22 mph, with gusts as high as 32 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Tonight
A slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 67. Breezy, with a north wind 16 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Tuesday
A slight chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 76. North wind around 16 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Tuesday Night
A slight chance of showers before 2am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 65. North wind 8 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Wednesday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 76. North wind around 11 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph.
Wednesday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 66.
Thursday
Sunny, with a high near 78.
Thursday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 67.
Friday
Sunny, with a high near 80.
Friday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 68.
Saturday
Sunny, with a high near 81.
Saturday Night
A chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 64. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Sunday
A chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 75. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

 

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About Sam Walker 1512 Articles
Sam Walker was news director for OBXToday.com, Beach 104, 99.1 The Sound, Big 94.5 WCMS and Z 92.3 from August 2011 to March 2022.