🌊 US Weather Warriors MarineCast — 2026-05-22
Small Craft Advisories blanket Delmarva waters into the weekend, with a stalled front and inverted trough setting up a rougher Saturday offshore.
Today on the Water: SCAs are in effect across the Atlantic coastal waters, Delaware Bay, and the Chesapeake from the head of the bay down to Cape Henry. Rip Current Statement and Beach Hazards Statements run through 8:00 PM for Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia beaches. Showers are in the mix, and conditions deteriorate further by Saturday.
Atlantic Coastal Waters (Lewes → southern VA coast): NE winds drive the early day under SCA, and conditions only build from here. By Saturday, expect E winds 20–25 kt gusting 30 kt with seas 7–9 ft, occasionally to 13 ft, and showers. Not a day to push offshore.
Delaware Bay: SCA in force for both the north and south bay zones through Friday evening. The lightest window is Tuesday night with S winds around 5 kt shifting SW after midnight and seas 1 foot or less. Saturday turns nasty: E 20–25 kt, gusts 30 kt, seas 3–5 ft.
Chesapeake Bay & Delmarva-facing Waters: SCA from the top of the bay down through the Bay Bridge Tunnel, expiring late morning for several zones but reissued through the weekend. Today: NE 15–20 kt, gusts to 25 kt, waves NE 3 ft at 4 sec with a SE 1 ft at 8 sec swell. Showers likely early, scattered through the afternoon. Winds ease to E 10–15 kt late tonight.
Wind & Seas Outlook: Peak winds and seas both arrive Saturday with E 20–25 kt, gusts 30 kt, and Atlantic seas 7–9 ft (locally 13 ft). Calmest stretch is Tuesday night into Sunday night.
Marine Alerts:
- Small Craft Advisory — Atlantic coastal waters DE/VA, through 7:00 PM Sat
- Small Craft Advisory — Delaware Bay (both zones), through 6:00 PM Sat
- Small Craft Advisory — Chesapeake Bay MD zones, through 6:00 AM Sat
- Small Craft Advisory — Chesapeake Bay VA zones, through 1:00 AM Sat
- Rip Current Statement — DE/NJ beaches, until 8:00 PM today
- Beach Hazards Statement — MD beaches, Accomack, Northampton, Virginia Beach, until 8:00 PM today
Best Window to be Out: Late tonight into early tomorrow morning on the upper Chesapeake as winds back off to E 10–15 kt — protected waters only, and stay clear of the surf zone given the rip current threat.
Worst Window: Saturday daytime offshore — 30 kt gusts and 13-ft seas are a hard no.
Bottom Line: Stay in port or stick to sheltered creeks today; this setup gets worse before it gets better.
— US Weather Warriors #DelmarvaWeather #MarineWeather #BoatingWeather