Tropical Storm Philippe headed north toward the US. What NC will get as it passes
North Carolina coastal waters will get jostled again this weekend by another tropical storm moving north through the Atlantic toward New England and Canada.
Forecasters say Tropical Storm Philippe — which formed nearly three weeks ago and was originally expected to veer northeast into the Atlantic, away from the U.S. — will merge with another low-pressure system in the ocean and later will gather moisture from a cold front moving toward the northeastern U.S.
The storm could bring from 1 to 5 inches of rain to Maine and neighboring states, along with winds of 30 to 40 mph along the New England coast.
What will NC get from Philippe?
▪ After the storm passes over or near Bermuda on Friday, it’s expected to continue traveling north. The center of the storm will likely be hundreds of miles from North Carolina, but conditions prompted the National Weather Service to issue a small craft advisory for the state’s coast from Surf City to the Virginia border.
▪ The roughest seas will come Saturday night, the Weather Service said, when the strongest winds are expected.
▪ The southern coastline will see a northwest wind of 10 to 23 mph, with gusts around 28 mph, and 4-to-7-foot seas, the Weather Service said Thursday night.
▪ The northern coastline will see similar winds but slightly higher seas, forecasters said.
Will it be safe to play in the ocean?
Ocean temperatures along the North Carolina coast are in the low- to mid-70s, barely warm enough to not need a wet suit.
But if that’s not discouraging enough, Tropical Storm Philippe, like so many others this hurricane season, is expected to create a high risk of rip currents along the coast from Surf City through the Outer Banks.
Meteorologists say that while rip currents can happen any time, the most likely time for strong rip currents is about two hours before and after low tide. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has a searchable tide table with information about specific locations along the coast.
What about Raleigh?
▪ Mostly cloudy weather is expected for the Triangle area Friday.
▪ Saturday will start off cloudy with a chance of rain in the morning, and then gradual clearing with a high near 74 degrees, forecasts say.
▪ Sunday will be sunny and cooler with high near 65 degrees.
Are there any more tropical storms out there?
At the moment, there are no others in the Atlantic, but hurricane season runs through Nov. 30.
