Cape Lookout National Seashore

Cape Lookout National Seashore preserves a 56-mile (90-km) long section of the Southern Outer Banks, or Crystal Coast, of North Carolina, USA, running from Ocracoke Inlet on the northeast to Beaufort Inlet on the southeast. Three undeveloped barrier islands make up the seashore - North and South Core Banks and Shackleford Banks. The seashore includes two historic villages on Core Banks, Shackleford's wild horses, and the Cape Lookout Lighthouse, which has a black-and-white diamond pattern. A visitors center for the seashore is located on Harkers Island.

Cape Lookout National Seashore
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)
Cape Lookout Lighthouse
LocationOuter Banks, Carteret County, North Carolina, United States
Nearest cityHarkers Island, NC
Coordinates34°36′19″N 76°32′11″W
Area28,243 acres (114.30 km2)[1]
EstablishedMarch 10, 1966
Visitors508,116 (in 2011)[2]
Governing bodyNational Park Service
WebsiteCape Lookout National Seashore

The National Park Service, as part of their Centennial Initiative celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2016, is planning to rehabilitate the Lighthouse and restore the Cape Lookout and Portsmouth Village Historic Districts.[3]

History

The National Seashore was authorized on March 10, 1966. It was named a North Carolina Natural Heritage Area on May 23, 1986. The seashore was designated the Carolinian-South Atlantic Biosphere Reserve on June 16, 1986. Near noon on September 9, 2007, Tropical Storm Gabrielle made landfall at this exact point with winds of 60 mph (97 km/h). Damage was light but flooding and beach erosion affected this lookout. On August 27, 2011, Hurricane Irene made landfall near Cape Lookout as a Category 1 storm with 85 mph sustained winds. Hurricane Arthur also made landfall near Cape Lookout as a Category 2 storm with 100 mph sustained winds.

Laws

The Corolla Wild Horses Protection Act (H.R. 126;113th Congress), if passed, would take wild horses from herds on the Cape Lookout National Seashore and introduced them to the herds in the Currituck National Wildlife Refuge in order to ensure genetic viability.[4]

Map
Official National Park Service map

Climate

According to the Trewartha climate classification system, Cape Lookout National Seashore, North Carolina has a humid subtropical climate with hot and humid summers, cool winters and year-around precipitation (Cfak). Cfak climates are characterized by all months having an average mean temperature > 32.0 °F (> 0.0 °C), at least eight months with an average mean temperature ≥ 50.0 °F (≥ 10.0 °C), at least one month with an average mean temperature ≥ 71.6 °F (≥ 22.0 °C) and no significant precipitation difference between seasons. During the summer months in Cape Lookout National Seashore, a cooling afternoon sea breeze is present on most days, but episodes of extreme heat and humidity can occur with heat index values ≥ 100 °F (≥ 38 °C). Cape Lookout National Seashore is prone to hurricane strikes, particularly during the Atlantic hurricane season which extends from June 1 through November 30, sharply peaking from late August through September. During the winter months, episodes of cold and wind can occur with wind chill values < 10 °F (< -12 °C). The plant hardiness zone at Core Sound in Cape Lookout National Seashore is 8b with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of 16.6 °F (-8.6 °C).[5] The average seasonal (Dec-Mar) snowfall total is < 2 inches (< 5 cm), and the average annual peak in nor'easter activity is in February.

Climate data for Core Sound, Cape Lookout National Seashore, NC (1981-2010 Averages)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °F (°C) 52.9
(11.6)		 54.8
(12.7)		 60.4
(15.8)		 67.7
(19.8)		 74.8
(23.8)		 81.6
(27.6)		 84.7
(29.3)		 84.0
(28.9)		 80.4
(26.9)		 72.6
(22.6)		 64.9
(18.3)		 56.4
(13.6)		 69.7
(20.9)
Daily mean °F (°C) 45.4
(7.4)		 47.4
(8.6)		 53.0
(11.7)		 60.6
(15.9)		 68.2
(20.1)		 75.8
(24.3)		 79.3
(26.3)		 78.4
(25.8)		 74.5
(23.6)		 65.5
(18.6)		 57.3
(14.1)		 48.9
(9.4)		 62.9
(17.2)
Average low °F (°C) 37.9
(3.3)		 39.9
(4.4)		 45.5
(7.5)		 53.5
(11.9)		 61.6
(16.4)		 70.0
(21.1)		 73.8
(23.2)		 72.8
(22.7)		 68.5
(20.3)		 58.4
(14.7)		 49.7
(9.8)		 41.3
(5.2)		 56.1
(13.4)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 4.62
(117)		 3.60
(91)		 4.51
(115)		 3.42
(87)		 4.00
(102)		 4.20
(107)		 5.93
(151)		 7.30
(185)		 6.35
(161)		 4.62
(117)		 4.04
(103)		 4.06
(103)		 56.65
(1,439)
Average relative humidity (%) 71.7 71.6 69.5 70.9 73.2 77.1 79.2 78.6 77.0 74.0 74.6 73.2 74.2
Average dew point °F (°C) 36.8
(2.7)		 38.7
(3.7)		 43.3
(6.3)		 51.1
(10.6)		 59.3
(15.2)		 68.1
(20.1)		 72.3
(22.4)		 71.2
(21.8)		 66.8
(19.3)		 57.0
(13.9)		 49.3
(9.6)		 40.7
(4.8)		 54.6
(12.6)
Source: PRISM[6]


Climate data for Cape Hatteras, NC Ocean Water Temperature (53 NE Core Sound)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Daily mean °F (°C) 49
(9)		 46
(8)		 52
(11)		 59
(15)		 68
(20)		 74
(23)		 78
(26)		 80
(27)		 77
(25)		 70
(21)		 58
(14)		 55
(13)		 64
(18)
Source: NOAA[7]

Ecology

According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. potential natural vegetation types, Cape Lookout National Seashore, North Carolina would have a dominant vegetation type of Live oak/Sea Oats Uniola paniculata (90) with a dominant vegetation form of Coastal Prairie (20).[8]

Wildlife

Bibliography
  • The National Parks: Index 2001–2003. Washington: U.S. Department of the Interior.
  • Timblin, Carol (September–October 2008). "A World Away: Getting to North Carolina's Cape Lookout National Seashore is getting away from it all". AAA World. side trips. 10 (5). AAA Midatlantic. p. 26. Archived from the original on 2008-10-07. Retrieved 2008-09-04.

Notes
  1. "Listing of acreage as of December 31, 2011". Land Resource Division, National Park Service. Retrieved 2012-12-26.
  2. "NPS Annual Recreation Visits Report". National Park Service. Retrieved 2012-12-26.
  3. Bomar, Mary A. (August 2007). "Summary of Park Centennial Strategies" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 2008-02-15.
  4. "H.R. 126 - Summary". United States Congress. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  5. "USDA Interactive Plant Hardiness Map". United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  6. "PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University". Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  7. "Water Temperature Table of All Coastal Regions". Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  8. "U.S. Potential Natural Vegetation, Original Kuchler Types, v2.0 (Spatially Adjusted to Correct Geometric Distortions)". Retrieved August 6, 2019.
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