🌊 US Weather Warriors MarineCast — Thursday, June 25, 2026
Small Craft Advisories blanket the Chesapeake through tonight — plan around them.
Today on the Water: SCAs are up for the entire Chesapeake Bay from north of Pooles Island down to Little Creek, in effect through tonight into Friday morning. South winds build to 10-15 kt with gusts to 20-25 kt, and seas stack to 2-3 ft on the Bay this afternoon. Radar is quiet right now across Delmarva, but showers and possible thunderstorms move in late.
Atlantic Coastal Waters (Lewes → southern VA coast): South winds today with a workable morning before the breeze and seas come up. Conditions deteriorate into Friday night when S winds hit 15-20 kt and seas run 3-4 ft, occasionally to 6 ft, with showers after midnight.
Delaware Bay: S winds 10-15 kt tonight with gusts to 25 kt and seas around 2 ft (S 2 ft at 4 sec, SE 1 ft at 7 sec). Saturday brings showers in the morning and a chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Sunday looks like the reset — NE around 5 kt shifting SE, seas a foot or less.
Chesapeake Bay & Delmarva-facing Waters: SCAs in effect. S winds 5-10 kt with gusts to 15 kt early, becoming SE 10-15 kt with gusts to 20 kt late. Waves 1 ft building to 2-3 ft this afternoon. Friday night brings S 10-15 kt with gusts to 25 kt and a chance of showers and storms.
Wind & Seas Outlook: Peak winds and seas hit Friday night across the Atlantic zones (S 15-20 kt, seas 3-4 ft, occasionally 6 ft). Calmest stretch arrives Monday — light E/NE flow and 1-2 ft seas Bay-wide.
Marine Alerts:
- Small Craft Advisory — Upper Chesapeake (Pooles Island area, Patapsco, Chester River) until 3:00 AM EDT Friday
- Small Craft Advisory — Mid Chesapeake (Sandy Point to Smith Point VA, tidal Potomac) until 8:00 AM EDT Friday
- Small Craft Advisory — Lower Chesapeake (Smith Point to Little Creek VA) until 4:00 AM EDT Friday
Best Window to be Out: Monday is the clear pick — light NE winds 5 kt shifting E, 1-2 ft seas, calm Bay. If you must go today, early morning before the SE freshens and gusts climb to 20 kt is your only shot.
Worst Window: Friday night — S 15-20 kt, seas to 6 ft offshore, showers and possible thunderstorms.
Bottom Line: Stay tied up on the Bay today unless you're a salty captain with a capable boat working a tight morning window — SCAs are up for a reason.
— US Weather Warriors #DelmarvaWeather #MarineWeather #BoatingWeather