Special Marine Warning Issued for Coastal North Carolina Waters Through Thursday Afternoon
This alert is no longer in effect.
NOAA issued it on April 6, 2026, 4 months ago. Warnings of this kind stay in effect for hours to a few days, so this page is a historical record of what was issued, not a current warning. For conditions where you are right now, check weather.gov (US), weather.gc.ca (Canada), the Met Office (UK), or the Bureau of Meteorology (Australia).
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The National Weather Service has issued a Special Marine Warning for coastal North Carolina waters, including the Neuse and Bay Rivers, as a front brings 50-knot wind gusts and high waves.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Special Marine Warning
- Affected area
- Coastal North Carolina
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Newport/Morehead City
Marine notices apply to named waters or shoreline zones. They may not describe conditions on land, even when the nearest place name is the same.
Record status: historical. It was issued 4 months ago; use the issuing agency's live warning service for current conditions in Coastal North Carolina.
Special Marine Warning Issued for Coastal North Carolina Waters
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in Newport/Morehead City NC has issued a Special Marine Warning for several coastal and inland water regions in North Carolina. This alert is effective immediately following the detection of a fast-moving front.
Affected Areas
The warning covers the following maritime regions:
- Neuse and Bay Rivers
- South of Ocracoke Inlet to Cape Lookout (out to 20 nm)
- South of Cape Lookout to Surf City (out to 20 nm)
- Waters from Cape Lookout to Surf City (from 20 to 40 nm)
Specific locations impacted include Salter Path, Ar342, Ar320, the vicinity of Highway 24-17 Bridge, Ar345, Cape Lookout Bight, Ar330, the Morehead City-Atlantic Beach Bridge, the vicinity of Sneads Ferry Bridge, Atlantic Beach, the center of Bogue Sound, Northwest Places, Beaufort Inlet, the vicinity of Pine Knoll Shores, Bogue Inlet, R-8 Buoy, Ar355, the vicinity of Emerald Isle Bridge, Beaufort, and Emerald Isle.
What You Should Do
Mariners are urged to move to safe harbor immediately. Hazardous weather, including gusty winds and high waves, is expected to impact the area. Small craft should remain in port or seek shelter until conditions improve to avoid potential damage.
Expected Conditions
At 1:52 PM EDT, a front was located along a line extending from Surf City to near School House Reef, moving east at 45 knots. Expected hazards include wind gusts to nearly 50 knots and a quick wind shift from southwest to northwest. These conditions are likely to result in suddenly higher waves.
Timeline
The warning was issued at 1:53 PM EDT on March 12 and is scheduled to remain in effect until 2:45 PM EDT on March 12.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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