🌊 US Weather Warriors MarineCast — Friday, July 17, 2026
An early Small Craft Advisory on the mid-Bay clears by 6 AM, leaving a light-wind, smoky Friday before the weekend kicks up.
Today on the Water: Small Craft Advisory in effect on the Chesapeake from Sandy Point down to Smith Point VA until 6 AM EDT — then winds relax across the board. Expect light and variable flow, low seas, and reduced visibility from lingering wildfire smoke (1-3 nm in spots). Radar is quiet across Delmarva.
Atlantic Coastal Waters (Lewes → southern VA coast): NE around 5 kt, backing SE by late day. Seas near 2 ft on a mixed 5- and 8-second period. Smoke drops visibility to 1-3 nm through the afternoon — run your nav lights and radar.
Delaware Bay: N around 5 kt, shifting SW late. Seas 1 foot or less. Same smoke-visibility issue as the ocean — glassy but hazy.
Chesapeake Bay & Delmarva-facing Waters: Once the early SCA drops at 6 AM, winds ease under 10 kt with waves around 1 ft. Cleanest ride of the region after sunrise.
Wind & Seas Outlook: Saturday night brings gusts to 25 kt on the Bay and Delaware Bay with scattered thunderstorms. Peak nastiness is Tuesday night offshore: S 20-25 kt, gusts 30, seas 5-6 ft and occasionally 9 ft.
Marine Alerts:
- Small Craft Advisory — Chesapeake Bay Sandy Point to Smith Point VA and tidal tributaries, until 6:00 AM EDT today (NWS Baltimore/Washington).
Best Window to be Out: Mid-morning through mid-afternoon today, after the SCA lifts and before the SE sea breeze fills in. Watch your visibility in the smoke.
Worst Window: Tuesday night offshore — 30-kt gusts and 9-ft seas with storms. Stay tied up.
Bottom Line: Launch today if you're okay running in haze — it's the calmest water you'll see until midweek next week.
— US Weather Warriors #DelmarvaWeather #MarineWeather #BoatingWeather