🌊 US Weather Warriors MarineCast — Sunday, September 13, 2026
Special Marine Warnings are active early this morning off the Delaware and Maryland-Virginia coasts as strong thunderstorms crowd the nearshore waters.
Today on the Water: Thunderstorms near Ocean City and Salisbury are the immediate concern, with radar showing several strong cells near the coast and adjacent waters moving WSW to SW. Lightning is a real risk on open water, and one cell south of Ocean City carries a 50% hail probability. Winds and seas ease later today, but showers and thunderstorms remain possible through the afternoon.
Atlantic Coastal Waters (Lewes → southern VA coast): SW winds 10 to 15 kt with gusts to 20 kt this morning become S 5 to 10 kt with gusts to 15 kt this afternoon. Seas run 2 to 3 ft. Tonight is the smoother stretch: SW winds 5 kt become W after midnight, with seas 1 to 2 ft.
Delaware Bay: SW winds 5 to 10 kt become W this afternoon, with seas around 2 ft. Showers and a chance of thunderstorms affect the early morning into early afternoon. Tonight, winds fall to around 5 kt before turning W after midnight; seas are 1 ft or less.
Chesapeake Bay & Delmarva-facing Waters: SW winds 10 to 15 kt with gusts to 20 kt diminish to 5 to 10 kt this afternoon. A chance of showers remains, and fog or reduced visibility is noted in the marine forecast. Data is limited on specific wave heights for the Bay today.
Wind & Seas Outlook: The next rougher period arrives Monday, with north winds 15 to 20 kt and gusts to 25 kt offshore, where seas build to 3 to 4 ft and occasionally 6 ft. Monday night is the Chesapeake peak: NE winds 15 to 20 kt with gusts to 30 kt and waves 3 to 4 ft, occasionally 5 ft.
Marine Alerts:
- Special Marine Warning for Cape May to Fenwick Island waters, including Cape Henlopen waters, until 5:30 AM EDT.
- Special Marine Warning for Fenwick Island to Chincoteague waters until 5:15 AM EDT.
Best Window to be Out: Tonight, after the early-day thunderstorm threat, for light winds and the lowest seas across the coastal waters and Delaware Bay.
Worst Window: Early this morning near the Atlantic beaches and Ocean City waters while Special Marine Warnings and active thunderstorms are in play.
Bottom Line: Hold off on a morning launch near the ocean until the warned storms clear; conditions settle tonight before a much rougher northerly push Monday.
— US Weather Warriors #DelmarvaWeather #MarineWeather #BoatingWeather