Storm Warning covers Cape Hatteras offshore corridor 20 to 60 NM from Oregon Inlet through Cape Lookout NC; updated expiration 5:00 AM EDT Sunday, October 18
NWS Newport/Morehead City NC revised the Storm Warning at 1:11 PM EDT Saturday, October 17, narrowing the warned area to three zones from Oregon Inlet to Cape Lookout NC (20 to 60 NM) with expiration at 5:00 AM EDT Sunday, October 18. The original 3:04 AM EDT warning covered four zones through Monday morning; the Cape Lookout to Surf City zone is no longer in the warning. By 4:40 PM EST, NDBC buoy 41025 (Diamond Shoals) recorded N winds of 39 knots gusting to 47 knots; buoy 41120 (Cape Hatteras East) reported seas of 14 feet as of 4:26 PM EST October 17, consistent with the warned forecast. Check weather.gov/mhx for the current zone text before any departure.
Conditions update, 4:40 PM EST, October 17, 2026: NDBC buoy 41025 (Diamond Shoals, NC) recorded north winds of 39 knots gusting to 47 knots and water at 80 degrees Fahrenheit as of 4:40 PM EST October 17. NDBC station 41120 (Cape Hatteras East, NC) reported seas of 14 feet and water at 78 degrees Fahrenheit as of 4:26 PM EST October 17. NDBC station 41064 (Onslow Bay Outer, NC) recorded NNE winds of 33 knots gusting to 45 knots and water at 78 degrees Fahrenheit as of 4:08 PM EST October 17. Conditions remain at the high end of the gale range. The Storm Warning remains in effect through 5:00 AM EDT Sunday, October 18. Pull the current NWS Newport/Morehead City NC zone product at weather.gov/mhx before any departure decision.
Conditions update, 2:40 PM EST, October 17, 2026: NDBC buoy 41025 (Diamond Shoals, NC) recorded north winds of 37 knots gusting to 45 knots and water at 81 degrees Fahrenheit as of 2:40 PM EST October 17. NDBC station 41120 (Cape Hatteras East, NC) reported seas of 13 feet and water at 79 degrees Fahrenheit as of 2:26 PM EST October 17. NDBC station 41064 (Onslow Bay Outer, NC) recorded NE winds of 31 knots gusting to 41 knots at 2:08 PM EST. Conditions have built through the afternoon, now approaching the upper end of the warned forecast range of 17 to 22 feet. The Storm Warning remains in effect for three zones from Oregon Inlet to Cape Lookout NC (20 to 60 NM) through 5:00 AM EDT Sunday, October 18. Pull the current NWS Newport/Morehead City NC zone product at weather.gov/mhx before any departure decision.
Update, 1:11 PM EDT, Saturday, October 17, 2026: NWS Newport/Morehead City NC revised the Storm Warning. The updated warning covers three zones (Oregon Inlet to Cape Hatteras NC, Cape Hatteras to Ocracoke Inlet NC, Ocracoke Inlet to Cape Lookout NC, each from 20 to 60 NM) and expires at 5:00 AM EDT Sunday, October 18. The Cape Lookout to Surf City zone is no longer in the warning. NDBC buoy 41025 (Diamond Shoals, NC) recorded north winds of 25 knots gusting to 29 knots and water at 81 degrees Fahrenheit as of 11:40 AM EST October 17. NDBC station 41120 (Cape Hatteras East, NC) reported seas of 8 feet and water at 80 degrees Fahrenheit as of 10:56 AM EST October 17. Conditions remain active through early Sunday morning. The offshore window from Beaufort Inlet, Morehead City, and the Hatteras corridor may reopen Sunday morning, but pull the NWS Newport/Morehead City NC zone product at weather.gov/mhx before any departure decision.
NWS Newport/Morehead City NC issued a Storm Warning at 3:04 AM EDT Saturday, October 17, 2026 for four 20-to-60 nautical mile offshore zones covering the full Cape Hatteras corridor: waters from Oregon Inlet to Cape Hatteras NC from 20 to 60 NM, waters from Cape Hatteras to Ocracoke Inlet NC from 20 to 60 NM, waters from Ocracoke Inlet to Cape Lookout NC from 20 to 60 NM, and waters from Cape Lookout to Surf City NC from 20 to 60 NM. The warning runs through 2:00 AM EDT Monday, October 19.
The forecast calls for northeast winds of 35 to 40 knots with gusts reaching 50 knots and seas of 17 to 22 feet. Storm Warning criteria apply when sustained winds reach 48 to 63 knots; the 35-to-40-knot northeast winds in the forecast are building toward that range. NWS guidance is that mariners should remain in port, alter course, or secure vessels for severe conditions.
NDBC buoy 41025 (Diamond Shoals, NC) recorded west-southwest winds of 25 knots gusting to 29 knots and water at 83 degrees Fahrenheit as of 1:40 AM EST October 17. NDBC station 41120 (Cape Hatteras East, NC) reported seas of 5 feet as of 1:26 AM EST October 17. Both readings predate full warning development; conditions are building toward the warned forecast. The current NWS Newport/Morehead City NC zone text at weather.gov/mhx, not the buoy point readings, is the controlling product for departure decisions.
Bluefin tuna move through the 20-to-60 NM corridor off Cape Hatteras in October and early November, and king mackerel and wahoo remain active at the canyon approach grounds. That offshore window is closed through early Sunday morning. The warned zones cover the departure corridors from Oregon Inlet Marina, Hatteras Village, Ocracoke, Beaufort Inlet, Morehead City, and the Onslow Bay inlets south to Surf City. Pull the NWS Newport/Morehead City NC zone product at weather.gov/mhx before any departure decision.
On the water: Rules and conditions can change quickly. Confirm current regulations and official marine forecasts for your exact trip.