🌊 US Weather Warriors MarineCast — Sunday, July 12, 2026
Small Craft Advisories are up across the lower Bay and southern coastal waters, with strong convective cells firing near Cape Charles right now.
Today on the Water: Multiple Small Craft Advisories are active from the lower Chesapeake through the VA/NC coastal waters, most running into Monday night. Coastal Flood Advisories and Statements cover Delaware beaches, lower Eastern Shore, and Tidewater VA through this evening. East winds build through the day with seas climbing tonight. Radar shows a cluster of strong cells (up to 52 dBZ, tops to 22 kft) within 15 nm of Cape Charles, moving NW/NNW — tracking onshore toward the lower Bay with lightning risk over open water.
Atlantic Coastal Waters (Lewes → southern VA coast): East winds 10-15 kt today building to 15-20 kt with gusts to 25 kt tonight. Seas run 3-4 ft today, rising to 4-5 ft and occasionally 7 ft tonight on an E 5 ft at 10 sec swell. Chance of showers; watch the Cape Charles cells if you're anywhere south of Chincoteague.
Delaware Bay: NE winds around 10 kt with gusts to 20 kt this morning, shifting E with similar gusts this afternoon. Seas 1 ft or less early, building to around 2 ft by afternoon. Slight chance of showers and a stray thunderstorm early.
Chesapeake Bay & Delmarva-facing Waters: Winds turn east today with SCAs in effect from Drum Point south through the Bay Bridge Tunnel. Waves build with SE 4 ft at 6 sec swell moving in. Chance of showers and thunderstorms early evening; active convection already over the lower Bay near Cape Charles moving onshore.
Wind & Seas Outlook: Peak wind Monday: E 15-20 kt gusting 25 kt. Peak seas tonight into Monday: 4-5 ft with occasional 7-footers on the Atlantic side. Relief arrives Tuesday.
Marine Alerts:
- Small Craft Advisory — Lower Chesapeake (Drum Point to Cape Henry, Tidal Potomac, Tangier Sound) through Mon 4 AM to Sun 7 PM depending on zone
- Small Craft Advisory — VA/NC coastal waters out 20 NM through Mon 5 PM to Tue midnight
- Coastal Flood Advisory — Delaware (Kent, Sussex, New Castle) through this evening
- Coastal Flood Statements — Lower Eastern Shore MD/VA and Tidewater VA through this evening
Best Window to be Out: Late morning on protected upper Delaware Bay waters, before the afternoon E wind shift and before those Cape Charles cells drift north.
Worst Window: Tonight into Monday — 20-25 kt gusts and 7 ft seas offshore.
Bottom Line: Small boats stay in south of the Bay Bridge; upper Delaware Bay is the only reasonable option, and only for a short morning window.
— US Weather Warriors #DelmarvaWeather #MarineWeather #BoatingWeather