In addition to our tropical depression in the Far Eastern Atlantic, there is the coastal low off the North Carolina coast near Wilmington. While this low is not showing tropical characteristics, and upper level conditions are expected to remain unfavorable toward development, it still has the potential to cause a lot of headaches for coastal residents from North Carolina to New Jersey. It already has in some ways.

There have been Small Craft Advisories and Rip Current alerts throughout the Mid-Atlantic with a forecast for Gale Force Winds for coastal waters on Wednesday and Thursday. However, there has been some improvement in the organization of the showers and thunderstorms with this low. As a result, there have been wind gusts along the coast near Wilmington and the southern portion of the Tar Heel State of 40 miles per hour. In addition, there have been torrential rains depending on your location in North Carolina. For instance, rainfall totals so far are less than an inch in the Wilmington area while in other locales just miles away (about 20 miles) they are in upwards of 10 inches.

The low is expected to move over Eastern Northern Carolina this evening (Monday) and Tuesday. Then it will gradually move off shore on Tuesday night. It will then linger off the Mid-Atlantic coast on Wednesday and Thursday before heading to the northeast later this week. A Flood Warning is currently in effect for Carteret County in Southeastern North Carolina including Morehead City. Two to four inches are expected in this warning area with ponding of water on local roads possibly getting in upwards of one to two feet.

Further north in Northern North Carolina and Southeastern Virginia including Elizabeth City, Norfolk, and Virginia Beach, there is a flood watch out with heavy bands of rain showers spreading over the region later tonight into Tuesday afternoon. Rainfall amounts are expected to range between 3 to 4 inches during the period. Nothing has been issued for Delaware and New Jersey other than a rip current risk except for a Hazardous Weather Outlook for the Delaware Bay area as heavy rains and increasing tides can be expected over the next few days.

Hurricaneville will continue to monitor developments with this low, and perhaps head out to the Jersey Shore over the next few days to check out conditions there.