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Shaded-relief map of Half Moon, North Carolina: rivers, roads, the city limits and where the water drains.
NORTH CAROLINA · ONSLOW COUNTY

Half Moon

7,543 people, 40 ft above sea level in Onslow County.

40 ftElevation, city center
7,543People, 2024 estimate
7 sq miLand area
Sunny 52°
Sunny now Dew point 30° · N 3 mph · high 48°
City of Half Moon River Interstate 2 miles
Explore the plate Order a print

The Half Moon plate. Relief from Copernicus GLO-30; rivers and lakes from USGS NHD; watersheds from the USGS Watershed Boundary Dataset; roads and city limits from Census TIGER 2024.

MILE1
TODAY

Today in Half Moon

NWS forecast and National Blend of Models · updated 5:00 PM EST
RIGHT NOW Albert J Ellis Airport (KOAJ) · 4:56 PM
Sunny
52° Sunny Feels like 52° · high of 48° near 5 PM
WindN 3 mphno gusts
Humidity43%rising to 82% by morning
Pressure30.06 in →steady
Visibility10 mihaze-free
CloudsClear
UV index—no forecast
Dew point 30° · Dry40° by Tuesday: more humid
DryComfortableStickyMuggyOppressive
NEXT RAIN
Clear
Not this weeknone in the forecast for a week
LIKELY AMOUNT—nothing expected
LAST RAINNov. 70.01 in · 7 dry days
ALERTS & OUTLOOKS
! Freeze WarningFreeze Warning issued November 14 at 11:47AM EST until November 15 at 9:00AM EST by NWS Newport/Morehead City NC
NWS Newport/Morehead City and the Storm Prediction Center · checked 5:46 PM
SUN & MOON
↑ 6:43 AM5:05 PM ↓
10 h 22 m of daylight, 2 minutes less than yesterday
Waxing crescent, 26% lit. Next full moon: Nov. 24.
AIR & POLLEN
30
GOODAir quality index · ozone
Tomorrow: 38, good. No pollen source yet.

The next three days, hour by hour

Sky: clear, cloudy, night Rain likely National Blend of Models
SATURDAY, NOV. 14
SUNDAY, NOV. 15
MONDAY, NOV. 16
TUESDAY, NOV. 17
5p
8p
11p
2a
5a
8a
11a
2p
5p
8p
11p
2a
5a
8a
11a
2p
5p
8p
11p
2a
5a
8a
11a
2p
clear night
clear night
clear night
clear night
clear night
clear day
clear day
clear day
clear night
clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
clear day
clear day
clear day
clear night
clear night
clear night
clear night
clear night
clear day
clear day
clear day
TEMPERATURE °F
48°
34°
58°
35°
57°
34°
CHANCE OF RAIN
50%
WIND, MPH
6
3
6
5
5
7
7
7
0
0
0
3
5
8
9
8
5
3
1
2
5
7
8
7
HOW IT FEELS · DEW POINT
Dry: dew points 28 to 40°

The next seven days, and how sure we are

Forecast, with the range 8 in 10 ensemble members agree on Normal, about 80° / 62°
SAT Nov. 14 Sunny Sunny
48° 32°
0% rain — WNW 4 A
SUN Nov. 15 Sunny; warmer Sunny; warmer
58° 33°
0% rain — NNW 7 A
MON Nov. 16 Sunny Sunny
58° 33°
0% rain — N 8 A
TUE Nov. 17 Sunny Sunny
63° 34°
0% rain — NNE 3 B
WED Nov. 18 Sunny Sunny
66° 35°
0% rain — NE 5 A
THU Nov. 19 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
70° 38°
0% rain — NE 5 B
FRI Nov. 20 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
70° 40°
0% rain — NE 3 B
How sure are we? AModels agree: highs within 4° BSome spread: within 8° CWide spread: check back
Range from the National Blend of Models percentiles · graded on Forecast Scores
AIR MAIL

Where today’s air came from

The air arriving over Half Moon about 5,000 feet above the ground was over the southern Plains three days ago, and over the Ohio Valley a day ago, about 1,550 miles back along its path. Near the ground the air came from Georgia; at 10,000 feet, from the Pacific off the Northwest. It feels humid. Traced back 72 hours through NOAA’s hourly RAP analyses and the GFS beyond them, nine paths at each of three heights.

THIS WEEK IN 2011 Nov. 17, 2011

The coldest this week has been

19° on Nov. 17, 2011, the coldest reading for this week of the year since 1955. Next is 23° in 1967.

23°
19°
19672011
Source: NOAA RCC-ACIS, the New River Mcaf record since 1955.
MILE2
THE GROUND

What Half Moon stands on

Half Moon’s center stands about 40 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 10 ft to 90 ft, a difference of 80 ft: gently rolling country.

Under the town center the state geologic map shows River Bend Formation (limestone), from the Tertiary, 2.6 to 66 million years old.

The section below crosses 3 rock units mapped at the surface.

Half Moon, cut in half from south to north

A section south to north, 24 miles through the town center
0 ft100 ft HALF MOON40 ftNortheast Creeksea levelHigh point of the line130 ft ← SN →

Heights every 0.1 mile from the Copernicus GLO-90 surface model; vertical exaggeration about 64×. The colored band under the surface is the rock the state geologic map shows at the surface, not a picture of what lies beneath.

Rock at the surface along the line

River Bend Formation

Limestone. Age: Tertiary, 2.6 to 66 million years old. About 11 mi of the line.

Castle Hayne Formation; Comfort Member and New Hanover Member, undivided

Limestone. Age: Tertiary, 2.6 to 66 million years old. About 8 mi of the line.

Belgrade Formation, Undivided

Coquina, sand. Age: Tertiary, 2.6 to 66 million years old. About 0.6 mi of the line.

From the USGS State Geologic Map Compilation (Horton and others, 2017), the states’ geologic maps joined at a common scale.

Heights from Copernicus GLO-90 (a surface model: it includes buildings and tree canopy); summits from USGS GNIS; rivers from USGS NHDPlus HR; rock from the USGS State Geologic Map Compilation.

MILE3
THE WATER

Where Half Moon’s rain goes

A raindrop that lands in Half Moon reaches the Atlantic Ocean by way of Bachelors Delight Swamp and the New River: about 30 river miles.

THE WAY DOWN, TO SCALE
Half Moon≈ 30 mi · the Atlantic Ocean
FROM THE CENTER OF HALF MOON ≈ 30 mi to the Atlantic Ocean Bachelors Delight Swamp → New River

Traced down the USGS NHDPlus V2.1 river network from the Census center point of Half Moon; river miles along the main stem, rounded.

MILE5
THE ALMANAC

Half Moon’s year

1991–2020 normals · records since 1955 · New River Mcaf, 9 mi south

Half Moon has a humid subtropical climate. Summer afternoons average 89° in July; winter nights fall to about 35° in January. About 56 inches of rain fall in a normal year.

56°35°59°38°66°43°74°52°80°60°86°69°89°73°88°71°83°67°75°55°66°44°59°38° JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 12 TODAY HALF MOON 56.5 in rain a year
Normal high to low, by month Record high to low, by day Rain by month
July, average89° / 73°high / low, the warmest month
January, average56° / 35°high / low, the coldest month
Rain a year56.5 inwettest months: August and September
Snow a year0.6 insnowiest: January
Hottest on record102°FJuly 30, 2011
Coldest on record−5°FDecember 25, 1989
Wettest day on record8.44 inSeptember 15, 2018
Snowiest day on record19.1 inMarch 2, 1980
90° days a year43very few reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°43and 1 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeHumid subtropicalKöppen Cfa

AROUND THE RING

1Freeze seasonfrom the first fall freeze, about Nov. 17, to the last in spring, about March 20 (median dates)
2Highs of 90° and upJuly 5 to July 17; normal highs reach 90°
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Half Moon normally reaches 67° and falls to 44°. The record high is 83°, in 1985; the record low 24°, in 2013. The most rain on this date, 0.72 in, fell in 1972.

MONTH BY MONTH
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Normal high56°59°66°74°80°86°89°88°83°75°66°59°
Normal low35°38°43°52°60°69°73°71°67°55°44°38°
Rain, inches3.963.503.793.354.205.246.187.487.454.133.553.68
Record high81° (2022)94° (2019)92° (1985)95° (1985)99° (2019)101° (1990)102° (2011)101° (2010)97° (1993)95° (2019)89° (1973)82° (1998)
Record low0° (1985)9° (1996)12° (1980)25° (2004)33° (1963)45° (1966)54° (1988)54° (2004)44° (1981)24° (1962)19° (2011)−5° (1989)

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1955 at New River Mcaf, 8 miles south. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.

MILE7
ON THE NETWORK

Around Half Moon on the Forecast Network

Neighboring plates

Jacksonville NC · 8 MI 8 miles southeast New Bern NC · 29 MI 29 miles northeast Raleigh NC · 96 MI 96 miles northwest Durham NC · 113 MI 113 miles northwest Greensboro NC · 159 MI 159 miles northwest Charlotte NC · 193 MI 193 miles west
FORECASTCITY
Map of Half Moon, North Carolina. Explore the plate
NORTH CAROLINA · ONSLOW

Half Moon

7,543 people, 40 ft above sea level in Onslow County.

40 ftElevation
7,543People
7 sq miLand
Sunny 52°
SunnyDew point 30°
1

Today in Half Moon

NEXT 15 HOURS
Now clear night 48° 0%
8p clear night 43° 0%
11p clear night 39° 0%
2a clear night 37° 0%
5a clear night 35° 0%
8a clear day 38° 0%
Clear
NEXT RAINNone this week
→
Sat0%
Sunny Sunny
32
48
A
Sun0%
Sunny; warmer Sunny; warmer
33
58
A
Mon0%
Sunny Sunny
33
58
A
Tue0%
Sunny Sunny
34
63
B
Wed0%
Sunny Sunny
35
66
A
Thu0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
38
70
B
Fri0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
40
70
B
Letters show how sure the forecast is: A, models agree; B, some spread; C, check back. Sample data.
THIS WEEK IN 2011 · NOV. 17, 2011

19°, the coldest this week of the year has been since 1955.

2

What Half Moon stands on

Half Moon’s center stands about 40 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 10 ft to 90 ft, a difference of 80 ft: gently rolling country.

Half Moon, south to north Half Moon40 ftNortheast Creeksea levelHigh point130 ft ← SN → 24 miles through the town center; vertical exaggeration about 122×. Colors: rock at the surface.
Elevation, center40 ft
Within 3 miles10 to 90 ft
Lie of the landGently rolling (80 ft of relief)
Rock at the surfaceRiver Bend Formation
Its ageTertiary, 2.6 to 66 million years old
5

Half Moon’s year

Half Moon has a humid subtropical climate. Summer afternoons average 89° in July; winter nights fall to about 35° in January. About 56 inches of rain fall in a normal year.

JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 12 56.5 in
July, average89° / 73° · high / low, the warmest month
January, average56° / 35° · high / low, the coldest month
Rain a year56.5 in · wettest months: August and September
Snow a year0.6 in · snowiest: January
Hottest on record102°F · July 30, 2011
Coldest on record−5°F · December 25, 1989
Wettest day on record8.44 in · September 15, 2018
Snowiest day on record19.1 in · March 2, 1980
90° days a year43 · very few reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°43 · and 1 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeHumid subtropical · Köppen Cfa
1Freeze season · from the first fall freeze, about Nov. 17, to the last in spring, about March 20 (median dates)
2Highs of 90° and up · July 5 to July 17; normal highs reach 90°
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Half Moon normally reaches 67° and falls to 44°. The record high is 83°, in 1985; the record low 24°, in 2013. The most rain on this date, 0.72 in, fell in 1972.

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1955 at New River Mcaf, 8 miles south. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.
3

Where the rain goes

≈ 30 mito the Atlantic OceanBachelors Delight Swamp → New River

A raindrop that lands in Half Moon reaches the Atlantic Ocean by way of Bachelors Delight Swamp and the New River: about 30 river miles.