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 | WSW 8 ktWSW 8 kt | peak 24 kt Sat 12 PMpeak 24 kt Sat 12 PM |
| Alligator River | SSW 11 ktSSW 11 kt | peak 25 kt Sat 12 PMpeak 25 kt Sat 12 PM |
| Cape Fear NC to Little River Inlet | SSW 2 ktSSW 2 kt | peak 26 kt Sat 2 AMpeak 26 kt Sat 2 AM |
| NC VA border to Currituck Beach Light | WSW 8 ktWSW 8 kt | peak 29 kt Sat 1 PMpeak 29 kt Sat 1 PM |
| Surf City to Cape Fear | SSW 8 ktSSW 8 kt | peak 26 kt Sat 2 AMpeak 26 kt Sat 2 AM |
| Croatan and Roanoke Sounds | SSW 11 ktSSW 11 kt | peak 27 kt Sat 11 AMpeak 27 kt Sat 11 AM |
| Currituck Sound | WSW 8 ktWSW 8 kt | peak 26 kt Sat 12 PMpeak 26 kt Sat 12 PM |
| Neuse and Bay Rivers | WSW 4 ktWSW 4 kt | peak 19 kt Sat 1 PMpeak 19 kt Sat 1 PM |
| Pamlico Sound | SSW 11 ktSSW 11 kt | peak 24 kt Sat 1 PMpeak 24 kt Sat 1 PM |
| Pamlico and Pungo Rivers | WSW 4 ktWSW 4 kt | peak 19 kt Sat 12 PMpeak 19 kt Sat 12 PM |
| S of Cape Hatteras NC to Ocracoke Inlet | WSW 12 ktWSW 12 kt | peak 27 kt Sat 1 PMpeak 27 kt Sat 1 PM |
| S of Cape Lookout NC to Surf City | WSW 4 ktWSW 4 kt | peak 18 kt Sat 1 PMpeak 18 kt Sat 1 PM |
| S of Currituck Beach Light NC to Oregon Inlet | SSW 11 ktSSW 11 kt | peak 28 kt Sat 10 AMpeak 28 kt Sat 10 AM |
| S of Ocracoke Inlet NC to Cape Lookout | W 8 ktW 8 kt | peak 24 kt Sat 1 PMpeak 24 kt Sat 1 PM |
| S of Oregon Inlet NC to Cape Hatteras | SSW 11 ktSSW 11 kt | peak 29 kt Sat 1 PMpeak 29 kt Sat 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 12 knots, the strongest at S of Cape Hatteras NC to Ocracoke Inlet. 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 2 ft off Pamlico Sound, out of the 18 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.