Tim Armstrong
@ilmthunderstorm.bsky.social
NWS meteorologist in Wilmington, North Carolina, USA⛈️
Environmentalist, retro gamer, gardener, birder and space afficionado🚀
Loves: democracy, empathy, Star Trek, Epcot, anime, and cuddly housecats 😸
Environmentalist, retro gamer, gardener, birder and space afficionado🚀
Loves: democracy, empathy, Star Trek, Epcot, anime, and cuddly housecats 😸
Spent a few hours kayaking Smith Creek here in Wilmington today. The brushy areas were filled with sparrows, and the first winter ducks have shown up too.
November 24, 2025 at 9:28 PM
Spent a few hours kayaking Smith Creek here in Wilmington today. The brushy areas were filled with sparrows, and the first winter ducks have shown up too.
youtu.be/JWcwzWSfJq8
My winter climate outlook for eastern North and South Carolina. La Nina tends to bring drier than normal conditions and drought. Alaska ridging and easterly stratospheric wind could bring arctic outbreaks this far south too, but the winter overall may run warmer than normal.
My winter climate outlook for eastern North and South Carolina. La Nina tends to bring drier than normal conditions and drought. Alaska ridging and easterly stratospheric wind could bring arctic outbreaks this far south too, but the winter overall may run warmer than normal.
NWS Wilmington, NC Winter Climate Outlook 2025-2026
YouTube video by NWSWilmingtonNC
youtu.be
November 22, 2025 at 4:34 PM
youtu.be/JWcwzWSfJq8
My winter climate outlook for eastern North and South Carolina. La Nina tends to bring drier than normal conditions and drought. Alaska ridging and easterly stratospheric wind could bring arctic outbreaks this far south too, but the winter overall may run warmer than normal.
My winter climate outlook for eastern North and South Carolina. La Nina tends to bring drier than normal conditions and drought. Alaska ridging and easterly stratospheric wind could bring arctic outbreaks this far south too, but the winter overall may run warmer than normal.
Reposted by Tim Armstrong
I've had a missile blow up next to my airplane, been shot at dozens of times by anti-aircraft fire, and launched into orbit — all for my country. I never thought I'd see a President call for my execution.
Trump doesn’t understand the Constitution, and we're all less safe for it.
Trump doesn’t understand the Constitution, and we're all less safe for it.
November 20, 2025 at 8:40 PM
I've had a missile blow up next to my airplane, been shot at dozens of times by anti-aircraft fire, and launched into orbit — all for my country. I never thought I'd see a President call for my execution.
Trump doesn’t understand the Constitution, and we're all less safe for it.
Trump doesn’t understand the Constitution, and we're all less safe for it.
Here's a nice outlook from the NC Climate Office on expectations for this coming winter. The one item I'd add is the persistent warm blob in the North Pacific Ocean that may help create anomalous ridging near Alaska, a good teleconnection for Arctic outbreaks across the eastern U.S.
This winter could have a familiar feeling, with a similar set of storylines and atmospheric signals shaping our weather as last year.
For the 14th year in a row, we present our Winter Outlook for North Carolina. #ncwx
climate.ncsu.edu/blog/2025/11...
For the 14th year in a row, we present our Winter Outlook for North Carolina. #ncwx
climate.ncsu.edu/blog/2025/11...
Winter Outlook 2025-26: A Seasonal Repeat in Store? - North Carolina State Climate Office
It's said that no two snowflakes are alike -- and science backs that up -- but could we see two winters following the same template in back-to-back years? Early signs among the ocean and atmosphere ar...
climate.ncsu.edu
November 19, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Here's a nice outlook from the NC Climate Office on expectations for this coming winter. The one item I'd add is the persistent warm blob in the North Pacific Ocean that may help create anomalous ridging near Alaska, a good teleconnection for Arctic outbreaks across the eastern U.S.
Reposted by Tim Armstrong
Haunting Ghost Forests! We've all seen them! Ever wondered, "What killed all the trees?” UNCW research conducted by Andrea Hawkes, Monica Rother, Kendra Devereux and team seeks answers to questions of saltwater intrusion on freshwater ecosystems. 📸 courtesy of Monica Rother bit.ly/4oLCplK
November 17, 2025 at 8:29 PM
Haunting Ghost Forests! We've all seen them! Ever wondered, "What killed all the trees?” UNCW research conducted by Andrea Hawkes, Monica Rother, Kendra Devereux and team seeks answers to questions of saltwater intrusion on freshwater ecosystems. 📸 courtesy of Monica Rother bit.ly/4oLCplK
www.fly.faa.gov/adv/adv_spt
38 days working without pay and our nation's air traffic system is breaking down before our eyes. "Staffing triggers" is FAA-speak for where flights are being curtailed because there aren't enough controllers to safely handle the workload. This list will grow.
38 days working without pay and our nation's air traffic system is breaking down before our eyes. "Staffing triggers" is FAA-speak for where flights are being curtailed because there aren't enough controllers to safely handle the workload. This list will grow.
November 8, 2025 at 4:28 PM
www.fly.faa.gov/adv/adv_spt
38 days working without pay and our nation's air traffic system is breaking down before our eyes. "Staffing triggers" is FAA-speak for where flights are being curtailed because there aren't enough controllers to safely handle the workload. This list will grow.
38 days working without pay and our nation's air traffic system is breaking down before our eyes. "Staffing triggers" is FAA-speak for where flights are being curtailed because there aren't enough controllers to safely handle the workload. This list will grow.
My solar panels just reached 50 megawatt-hours of energy production since their installation in May 2020, offsetting over 34 tons of CO2 emissions from coal and gas power plants. #solar #electricity
November 5, 2025 at 6:12 PM
My solar panels just reached 50 megawatt-hours of energy production since their installation in May 2020, offsetting over 34 tons of CO2 emissions from coal and gas power plants. #solar #electricity
Just watched the venting second stage pass overhead from today's launch of an Ariane 6 rocket. It carried the Sentinel-1D satellite to orbit.
#Ariane6 #Sentinel-1D
#Ariane6 #Sentinel-1D
November 4, 2025 at 11:10 PM
Just watched the venting second stage pass overhead from today's launch of an Ariane 6 rocket. It carried the Sentinel-1D satellite to orbit.
#Ariane6 #Sentinel-1D
#Ariane6 #Sentinel-1D
#Geology and #Halloween go together like chocolate and peanuts
November 2, 2025 at 11:23 PM
#Geology and #Halloween go together like chocolate and peanuts
Happy Halloween! 🌀
November 1, 2025 at 5:24 AM
Happy Halloween! 🌀
Reposted by Tim Armstrong
Alrighty, ready to see something really cool? (and maybe a little nauseating)
The evolution of Hurricane Melissa's mesovortices at peak strength.
The evolution of Hurricane Melissa's mesovortices at peak strength.
October 29, 2025 at 8:10 PM
Alrighty, ready to see something really cool? (and maybe a little nauseating)
The evolution of Hurricane Melissa's mesovortices at peak strength.
The evolution of Hurricane Melissa's mesovortices at peak strength.
"Last chance to protect your life" may be the most severe headline I've ever seen in an official NWS product. #Melissa now at 892 mb and 185 mph.
October 28, 2025 at 2:06 PM
"Last chance to protect your life" may be the most severe headline I've ever seen in an official NWS product. #Melissa now at 892 mb and 185 mph.
Hurricane #Melissa's satellite appearance is frightening. 906 mb and 175 mph winds, will impact Jamaica tonight into Tuesday.
October 27, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Hurricane #Melissa's satellite appearance is frightening. 906 mb and 175 mph winds, will impact Jamaica tonight into Tuesday.
For the second year in a row I helped coworkers clean trash out of Smith Creek here in Wilmington. It was a stunningly beautiful day with sunshine and lower 70s.
October 25, 2025 at 12:43 AM
For the second year in a row I helped coworkers clean trash out of Smith Creek here in Wilmington. It was a stunningly beautiful day with sunshine and lower 70s.
Most private insurers don't offer coastal NC wind insurance policies due to hurricane risk. Over the past 13 years my wind policy premium has increased by 175 percent, probably already pricing out a portion of the population from owning a home here.
Insurers are scaling back in disaster-prone regions as climate change intensifies, forcing homeowners to pay more or risk going without coverage. Read the full story, first published by @yalee360.bsky.social
How Climate Change Is Driving Home Insurance Turmoil
Climate-fueled storms and wildfires are increasing costs and pushing insurers to the limit. Is the market broken?
undark.org
October 20, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Most private insurers don't offer coastal NC wind insurance policies due to hurricane risk. Over the past 13 years my wind policy premium has increased by 175 percent, probably already pricing out a portion of the population from owning a home here.
Didn't expect to hear the term "isentropic lift" used in the first 10 minutes of Tron Ares. Much better movie than I'd expected even without the synoptic meteorology!
October 20, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Didn't expect to hear the term "isentropic lift" used in the first 10 minutes of Tron Ares. Much better movie than I'd expected even without the synoptic meteorology!
Reposted by Tim Armstrong
A pic my mom sent me from the No Kings demonstration in Brevard, NC
October 18, 2025 at 10:10 PM
A pic my mom sent me from the No Kings demonstration in Brevard, NC
I wasn't sure if the clouds or sun angles would work out, but caught a glimpse of this evening's Starship Flight 11 looking south from Wrightsville Beach, NC. The rocket was traveling eastward just south of the Florida Keys and across the Bahamas with venting gasses lit up by the sun.
October 14, 2025 at 12:07 AM
I wasn't sure if the clouds or sun angles would work out, but caught a glimpse of this evening's Starship Flight 11 looking south from Wrightsville Beach, NC. The rocket was traveling eastward just south of the Florida Keys and across the Bahamas with venting gasses lit up by the sun.
Less than a month until my backyard crop of North Carolina citrus is ready! Changsha Mandarins, Ichang Lemons, and Owari Satsumas.
October 13, 2025 at 9:41 PM
Less than a month until my backyard crop of North Carolina citrus is ready! Changsha Mandarins, Ichang Lemons, and Owari Satsumas.
Preliminary water level reached 8.38 feet MLLW in Myrtle Beach, the highest since Dec 2023 tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/stationhome....
October 10, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Preliminary water level reached 8.38 feet MLLW in Myrtle Beach, the highest since Dec 2023 tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/stationhome....
Reposted by Tim Armstrong
This is quite the ridge over the eastern half of the U.S. and Canada.
It's warmer in Moosonee, Ontario—located on the shores of James Bay—than it is down in New Orleans.
It's warmer in Moosonee, Ontario—located on the shores of James Bay—than it is down in New Orleans.
October 5, 2025 at 6:09 PM
This is quite the ridge over the eastern half of the U.S. and Canada.
It's warmer in Moosonee, Ontario—located on the shores of James Bay—than it is down in New Orleans.
It's warmer in Moosonee, Ontario—located on the shores of James Bay—than it is down in New Orleans.
Reposted by Tim Armstrong
Federal workers provide weather forecasts for North Carolinians. Here’s how the shutdown could affect services during hurricane season.
Will government shutdown affect National Weather Service & NC hurricane updates?
Federal workers provide weather forecasts for North Carolinians. Here’s how the shutdown could affect services during hurricane season.
bit.ly
October 2, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Federal workers provide weather forecasts for North Carolinians. Here’s how the shutdown could affect services during hurricane season.
Hurricane #Helene was tearing through the southern Appalachians one year ago today. An excellent recent blog post from the NC Climate Office @ncsco.bsky.social puts the storm's impacts in historical perspective. #ncwx
September 27, 2025 at 10:31 AM
Hurricane #Helene was tearing through the southern Appalachians one year ago today. An excellent recent blog post from the NC Climate Office @ncsco.bsky.social puts the storm's impacts in historical perspective. #ncwx