🌊 US Weather Warriors MarineCast — Thursday, July 23, 2026
Small Craft Advisories up across the Chesapeake with north winds gusting 25 kt and a wall of showers and storms pushing onshore from the Atlantic.
Today on the Water: Small Craft Advisories are active on most Chesapeake Bay zones through 8-11 AM as northerly winds ease behind departing low pressure. Flash Flood Warning for the Norfolk/Virginia Beach metro until 7:30 AM, with a broader Flood Watch across southeast VA and northeast NC through midday. Radar shows a cluster of strong cells offshore of Cape Charles moving W/WSW at 25-40 kt — heading onshore, with tops to 20 kft and lightning risk over the lower Bay mouth.
Atlantic Coastal Waters (Lewes → southern VA coast): W winds 10-15 kt shifting N late morning, gusts to 20 kt. Seas 3-4 ft, occasionally 6 ft, on a mixed SE 7-second and N 4-second swell. Showers and thunderstorms likely early, tapering to scattered showers this afternoon.
Delaware Bay: N winds 10-15 kt with gusts to 20 kt early, easing to 5-10 kt by early afternoon and swinging E late. Seas 2-3 ft. A wet, choppy morning improves into the afternoon.
Chesapeake Bay & Delmarva-facing Waters: N winds 15-20 kt gusting 25 kt this morning, backing off to NE 10-15 kt this afternoon. Storms possible early near the Bay mouth given the incoming offshore cells; slight chance of showers later. Conditions moderate after the advisories drop mid-to-late morning.
Wind & Seas Outlook: Peak wind and seas are this morning. Winds relax tonight and Friday as high pressure builds in; the next uptick isn't until Monday night with SW 10-15 kt.
Marine Alerts:
- Small Craft Advisory, upper Chesapeake Bay zones — until 8 AM EDT
- Small Craft Advisory, mid Chesapeake Bay & Tidal Potomac — until 10-11 AM EDT
- Small Craft Advisory, lower Chesapeake Bay (VA) — until 10 AM EDT
- Flash Flood Warning, Chesapeake/Norfolk/Portsmouth/Virginia Beach — until 7:30 AM EDT
- Flood Watch, southeast VA & northeast NC — until midnight
Best Window to be Out: Mid-afternoon on the Bay, after 1 PM, once advisories drop and winds ease to 10-15 kt. Keep an eye on radar near the Bay mouth for redeveloping storms.
Worst Window: Sunrise through 10 AM — advisory winds, building seas, and storm cells rolling in off the Atlantic.
Bottom Line: Stay tied up this morning; small boats can work protected water this afternoon, but the lower Bay stays sketchy with storms in the mix.
— US Weather Warriors #DelmarvaWeather #MarineWeather #BoatingWeather