🌊 US Weather Warriors MarineCast — Saturday, July 4, 2026
Small craft conditions building tonight as SW winds gust to 20 kt and seas stack to 4 ft offshore — plus extreme heat onshore all day.
Today on the Water: Manageable marine conditions through the daylight hours, but the story shifts after sunset with SW winds 10-15 kt gusting 20 and building seas offshore. Scattered showers and thunderstorms possible this evening. Extreme Heat Warnings and Heat Advisories are in effect across much of Delmarva through 8 PM — hydrate hard and watch crew for heat stress on deck.
Atlantic Coastal Waters (Lewes → southern VA coast): SW winds ramp to 10-15 kt with gusts to 20 kt tonight, easing to S 5-10 kt after midnight. Seas building to 2-4 ft with a short-period S swell at 4 seconds mixed with a 9-second SE component. Chance of showers and thunderstorms this evening.
Delaware Bay: Lighter shop today with winds generally under 15 kt, but seas nudge toward 2 ft this afternoon as SE flow picks up with gusts to 20 kt. Chance of afternoon showers and thunderstorms.
Chesapeake Bay & Delmarva-facing Waters: SW 5-10 kt this morning turning SE 10-15 kt with gusts to 20 kt in the afternoon. Waves 1-2 ft with a mixed SE swell (2 ft at 4 seconds over a 9-second component). Confidence is low on any sustained small craft-level surges up the Bay, but expect isolated pop-up storms.
Wind & Seas Outlook: Peak winds and seas hit tonight (SW gusts 20 kt, seas 2-4 ft offshore). Conditions ease Sunday, with the calmest window arriving Wednesday behind lighter N-NE flow.
Marine Alerts:
- Extreme Heat Warning — Kent DE, Inland Sussex, Delaware Beaches, Kent MD, Queen Anne's, Talbot, Caroline — until 8 PM EDT
- Heat Advisory — Maryland Beaches, Eastern Currituck — until 8 PM EDT
- Extreme Heat Warning — multiple VA counties incl. Westmoreland, Northumberland, Lancaster — until 8 PM EDT
Best Window to be Out: This morning through mid-afternoon, before SW winds and gusts build and thunderstorms fire. Launch early, be back at the dock by 4 PM.
Worst Window: Tonight — SW gusts to 20 kt, seas 2-4 ft, and storm chances offshore.
Bottom Line: Get your Fourth of July run in early and off the water before evening — the wind, seas, and storm risk all sharpen after dark.
— US Weather Warriors #DelmarvaWeather #MarineWeather #BoatingWeather