🌊 US Weather Warriors MarineCast — Thursday, September 17, 2026
Small Craft Advisory conditions are the dominant story today on portions of the Chesapeake Bay, while Delaware Bay stays comparatively light.
Today on the Water: A Small Craft Advisory is in effect through 11 PM EDT for listed Chesapeake Bay zones. Delaware Bay has south winds 5 to 10 kt and seas 1 foot or less. Radar is quiet across Delmarva waters, but showers or thunderstorms are forecast at times.
Atlantic Coastal Waters (Lewes → southern VA coast): Today-specific coastal wind and sea data is limited. The better offshore window arrives Friday: northwest winds 5 to 10 kt become northeast in the afternoon, with seas 2 to 3 ft. Showers are in the forecast later in the period.
Delaware Bay: South winds run 5 to 10 kt today, with seas 1 foot or less. This is the best local window in the available forecast data. Conditions deteriorate Monday into Monday night as northeast winds build to 15 to 20 kt and seas reach 2 to 3 ft.
Chesapeake Bay & Delmarva-facing Waters: Small Craft Advisory conditions are active on Chesapeake Bay zones from Sandy Point south toward Smith Point. Friday brings north winds 5 to 10 kt and waves around 1 ft. Northeast winds increase Monday night to 15 to 20 kt, gusting up to 25 kt, with showers possible.
Wind & Seas Outlook: The strongest winds and largest seas arrive Monday night: northeast winds 15 to 20 kt, gusting to 30 kt offshore, with Atlantic seas around 5 ft and occasionally 7 ft. Friday is the lightest overall period, though northeast flow builds Friday night on the Chesapeake.
Marine Alerts:
- Small Craft Advisory for Chesapeake Bay from Sandy Point to North Beach, North Beach to Drum Point, and Drum Point to Smith Point, through 11 PM EDT.
Best Window to be Out: Delaware Bay today, where south winds hold at 5 to 10 kt and seas remain 1 foot or less.
Worst Window: Monday night offshore, with northeast winds up to 20 kt, gusts up to 30 kt, and seas occasionally reaching 7 ft.
Bottom Line: Launches are most manageable on Delaware Bay today, but Chesapeake boaters need to account for the active Small Craft Advisory.
— US Weather Warriors #DelmarvaWeather #MarineWeather #BoatingWeather