> > Current Topsail Island Beach Conditions
Overview
Whether you are new to the Topsail area or are simply looking for the best times to plan your next visit to the area, there are some important factors to keep in mind with regard to weather.
Current Weather Conditions & 5 Day Forecast
Current Weather Conditions & 5 Day Forecast
SURF CITY WEATHER
Annual Weather Patterns
January is the coldest month of the year with average air temperatures ranging from a low of 38ºF and a high of 56ºF while the ocean temperature averages 49ºF. July is the hottest month of the year with average air temperatures ranging from a low of 72ºF and a high of 87ºF while the ocean temperature averages 82ºF.
Monthly Average Temperatures
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Climate Center in Asheville, NC provides the following monthly temperature data for the area:
| Month | Average High & Low Temp. | Average Ocean Temp. |
|---|---|---|
| January | 56/38 | 49 |
| February | 58/39 | 50 |
| March | 65/45 | 55 |
| April | 72/53 | 63 |
| May | 84/61 | 72 |
| June | 86/69 | 79 |
| July | 87/72 | 82 |
| August | 87/70 | 82 |
| September | 83/66 | 79 |
| October | 75/56 | 71 |
| November | 66/46 | 60 |
| December | 56/39 | 51 |
Unique Regional Geography & Weather Events
The Topsail area is comprised of communities on or protected by Topsail Island, a barrier island that is separated from mainland North Carolina by the Intracoastal Waterway.
While the barrier island plays an important role in the area’s ecosystem, it also helps to keep common weather systems held inland to the West while the area remains protected by sea breezes pushing in from the Atlantic Ocean.
This unique geography often creates clear skies over the island while dark clouds and rain march visibly Northeast over mainland North Carolina.
While the barrier island can help to keep traditional weather systems further inland, more significant weather events, including hurricanes are familiar to the region.
Severe Weather Events in Recent History
Four of the area’s top-five most powerful storms in recorded history have hit the region over the past 27 years. While 1999’s Hurricane Floyd remains the strongest storm on record, 2018’s Hurricane Florence tends to be top of mind for residents and frequent visitors.
On the morning of September 14, 2018, Hurricane Florence made landfall near Wrightsville Beach, a town in New Hanover County about 25 miles South of the Topsail area. Wind gusts from Hurricane Florence peaked near 100 MPH in Topsail, but it was the days and weeks that followed the storm’s landfall that plagued the area.
Heavy rains from the storm fell for days as the storm slowed and moved in a Westward direction. Rising river waters from mainland North Carolina continued to flow towards the coast and the Cape Fear River to the South and the Neuse River to the North left the greater Topsail area inaccessible and powerless for weeks in some areas.
Topsail Island itself remained closed to residents through September 20, 2018, after a mandatory evacuation was put in effect on September 11th. It wasn’t until four weeks later that the bridges opened back up for the public and non-residents to access the island.