North Carolina Fall Starts Warm With Coastal Storms

Wilmington, North Carolina – Fall begins Tuesday with patchy fog, scattered thunderstorms and temperatures reaching the low 80s along the North Carolina coast.

According to the National Weather Service in Wilmington, patchy fog and low clouds will gradually dissipate Tuesday morning. Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms will initially affect mainly coastal counties.

Thunderstorm coverage will expand inland during the afternoon as temperatures climb to unseasonably warm levels. Inland highs will reach the mid- to upper 80s, while coastal communities remain in the low 80s.

The Weather Service places afternoon rain chances at 40% to 60%. Storms are expected to track from northeast to southwest across the region.

Drivers should watch for changing visibility early Tuesday where fog develops, followed by locally wet roads during afternoon showers and thunderstorms.

The pattern shifts during the evening. Showers and isolated thunderstorms will remain possible near and west of Interstate 95 during the first half of Tuesday night before gradually dissipating. Rain chances in inland areas range from 40% to 70% during that period.

Overnight temperatures will remain relatively mild for the first night of astronomical fall. Inland communities will fall into the mid- to upper 60s, while coastal locations remain in the low 70s.

For Wilmington and surrounding coastal counties, the first day of fall will feel more like summer, with warm temperatures and scattered thunderstorms rather than an immediate cooldown. Fog and low clouds are the morning concern before attention shifts to thunderstorms during the afternoon, with most activity gradually winding down during the first half of Tuesday night.