Last week, the arctic blast that arrived last night was expected to be brutal. As time has passed, the weather moderated, and today's cold was just cold. Not quite brutal.

But.

The next few days look like this for the Cape Fear area (AMZ252.)

...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING......

Synopsis...A STRONG GRADIENT WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE MID WEEK PERIOD WITH A GRADUAL DECREASE IN WIND AND SEAS BEGINNING ON FRIDAY. AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT APPROACHING FROM THE WEST WILL RAMP UP WINDS AND SEAS ON SATURDAY.

As in: you're not going anywhere soon.

Looking further down the coast (AMZ254)

Thu: NE winds 15 kt with gusts up to 25 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft. A slight chance of showers.

Thu Night: NE winds 10 to 15 kt with gusts up to 20 kt. Seas 2 to 4 ft.

Fri: E winds 10 kt...becoming S. Seas 2 to 3 ft.

Sat: SW winds 10 to 15 kt...becoming NW. Seas 2 to 4 ft. A chance of showers.

We might be able to leave late Thursday and endure big wind and big seas as we depart. Or we might leave Friday with nicer weather, But if we leave Friday, we might wind up bashing into the waves as we approach Charleston on Saturday morning.

The Charleston weather (AMZ350) says this.

Fri: E winds 10 to 15 kt. Seas 4 to 5 ft.

Fri Night: S winds 5 to 10 kt. Seas 2 to 3 ft.

Sat: W winds 5 to 10 kt. Seas 2 to 3 ft. A slight chance of showers.

It will be a bit nicer down Charleston way. Except for the 5' seas.

The bad news is that this series of cold fronts has us pinned down. The good news is that — except for laundry — Wrightsville Beach is nice.