North Carolina Marine Forecasts
NWS marine forecasts for 22 coastal waters zones off North Carolina, with current wind and seas from the nearest buoy and 3-day charts.
North Carolina forecast register
Named coastal zones, current observations and official advisories
| Forecast zoneForecast zone | Wind nowWind now | ConditionsConditions |
|---|---|---|
| Albemarle Sound | SW 4 ktSW 4 kt | peak 15 kt Fri 2 PMpeak 15 kt Fri 2 PM |
| Alligator River | SSW 6 ktSSW 6 kt | peak 16 kt Fri 2 PMpeak 16 kt Fri 2 PM |
| Cape Fear NC to Little River Inlet | S 4 ktS 4 kt | peak 16 kt Fri 3 PMpeak 16 kt Fri 3 PM |
| NC VA border to Currituck Beach Light | SW 4 ktSW 4 kt | peak 16 kt Fri 11 AMpeak 16 kt Fri 11 AM |
| Surf City to Cape Fear | SSE 6 ktSSE 6 kt | peak 18 kt Fri 2 PMpeak 18 kt Fri 2 PM |
| Croatan and Roanoke Sounds | SSW 6 ktSSW 6 kt | peak 14 kt Fri 2 PMpeak 14 kt Fri 2 PM |
| Currituck Sound | SW 4 ktSW 4 kt | peak 16 kt Fri 1 PMpeak 16 kt Fri 1 PM |
| Neuse and Bay Rivers | S 4 ktS 4 kt | peak 12 kt Fri 2 PMpeak 12 kt Fri 2 PM |
| Pamlico Sound | WNW 3 ktWNW 3 kt | peak 16 kt Fri 1 PMpeak 16 kt Fri 1 PM |
| Pamlico and Pungo Rivers | S 4 ktS 4 kt | peak 11 kt Fri 2 PMpeak 11 kt Fri 2 PM |
| S of Cape Hatteras NC to Ocracoke Inlet | WNW 3 ktWNW 3 kt | peak 19 kt Fri 2 PMpeak 19 kt Fri 2 PM |
| S of Cape Lookout NC to Surf City | S 4 ktS 4 kt | peak 13 kt Fri 1 PMpeak 13 kt Fri 1 PM |
| S of Currituck Beach Light NC to Oregon Inlet | SSW 6 ktSSW 6 kt | peak 16 kt Fri 2 PMpeak 16 kt Fri 2 PM |
| S of Ocracoke Inlet NC to Cape Lookout | SW 5 ktSW 5 kt | peak 17 kt Fri 1 PMpeak 17 kt Fri 1 PM |
| S of Oregon Inlet NC to Cape Hatteras | SSW 6 ktSSW 6 kt | peak 19 kt Fri 1 PMpeak 19 kt Fri 1 PM |
Scroll across the table for all readings →
North Carolina marine forecasts: common questions
Is there a small craft advisory off North Carolina right now?
No advisory or warning is in force in any of the 22 North Carolina marine zones at the moment. Advisories are issued per zone by the National Weather Service and appear at the top of a zone's page as soon as one is posted.
How windy is it on the North Carolina coast right now?
Buoys off North Carolina are reporting 2 to 6 knots, the strongest at Alligator River. A knot is 1.15 mph, so 20 knots is about 23 mph. Wind measured offshore is usually stronger than the same wind felt in a harbor.
How rough are the seas off North Carolina today?
The highest seas measured right now are 3 ft off S of Cape Hatteras NC to Ocracoke Inlet, out of the 17 of 22 North Carolina zones with a wave-capable buoy nearby. Seas are significant wave height, the average of the highest third of the waves, so individual waves run noticeably higher than the figure.
Who issues the marine forecast for North Carolina?
The National Weather Service, from its Newport/Morehead City, NC office, its Wakefield, VA office and its Wilmington, NC office. Each of the 22 zones on this page gets its own bulletin in a legacy teletype format, reproduced here in full underneath the charts and the live buoy readings.