🌊 US Weather Warriors MarineCast — Thursday, June 18, 2026
Gale Warning on the upper Chesapeake and Small Craft Advisories across nearly every Delmarva zone — today is a stay-in day for most boats.
Today on the Water: Gale Warning is up for the Chesapeake north of Pooles Island and the tidal Potomac until 8 PM. Small Craft Advisories blanket the Atlantic coast, Delaware Bay, and the rest of the Bay system. South to southwest winds 15-25 kt with gusts to 30 kt, ocean seas building to 5-6 ft with occasional 9-footers. Rip current risk is high at the Delaware beaches through 8 PM.
Atlantic Coastal Waters (Lewes → southern VA coast): S winds 15-20 kt early, ramping to 20-25 kt with gusts to 30 kt by late morning. Seas 5-6 ft, occasionally 9 ft, on a SE 6-second swell layered with a short S wind chop. Slight chance of showers and thunderstorms late. No safe window for small craft.
Delaware Bay: S winds 15-20 kt gusting 30, shifting SW late with gusts holding at 30. Seas 2-3 ft on a short S 5-second period — steep and uncomfortable. Chance of showers and thunderstorms this afternoon.
Chesapeake Bay & Delmarva-facing Waters: Gale conditions north of Pooles Island until evening. Elsewhere on the Bay, SW 15-20 kt with gusts to 25 kt, waves 2-3 ft on a short S 4-second period. Radar shows a cell 32 nm ESE of Wilmington tracking W at 51 kt — moving onshore toward the upper Bay, worth watching for lightning over open water.
Wind & Seas Outlook: Peak winds and seas hit today through tonight. Conditions ease Sunday before the next slug of SW 20-25 kt with gusts to 30 kt and 5-9 ft seas arrives Monday night.
Marine Alerts:
- Gale Warning — Chesapeake N of Pooles Island & tidal Potomac, until 8 PM Thu
- Small Craft Advisory — Atlantic coast Fenwick to NC border, until 7 AM Fri
- Small Craft Advisory — Delaware Bay, until midnight Thu
- Small Craft Advisory — Chesapeake Bay (multiple zones), through Thu evening into Fri morning
- Rip Current Statement — Delaware Beaches, until 8 PM Thu
- Coastal Flood Advisory — Anne Arundel & SE Harford, through early-mid afternoon
- Heat Advisory — coastal VA/NE NC, until 8 PM Thu
Best Window to be Out: Sunday is the realistic window — W winds 5 kt, seas 1-2 ft. Today does not offer one.
Worst Window: This afternoon through tonight, especially the upper Chesapeake under the Gale Warning.
Bottom Line: Stay at the dock — small craft have no business out there today.
— US Weather Warriors #DelmarvaWeather #MarineWeather #BoatingWeather