🌊 US Weather Warriors MarineCast — Wednesday, September 23, 2026
Gale Warnings are up across the coastal waters, Delaware Bay, and much of the Chesapeake, with dangerous northeast wind and building seas through tonight.
Today on the Water: Gale Warnings lead the forecast, with Coastal Flood Warnings and Advisories affecting much of Delmarva’s shoreline and Bay communities. Northeast winds strengthen to 25 to 30 kt with gusts up to 40 kt on Delaware Bay; coastal waters worsen sharply tonight. Radar shows several cells west and southwest of Dover and Salisbury, including one moving ENE toward the coast; showers remain a concern.
Atlantic Coastal Waters (Lewes → southern VA coast): Gale conditions develop tonight: NE winds 30 to 35 kt with gusts up to 45 kt. Seas build to 11 to 14 ft, occasionally 20 ft, with a chance of rain. No workable offshore window today; the lightest listed conditions are Sunday night.
Delaware Bay: NE winds run 25 to 30 kt with gusts up to 40 kt today, with 4 to 6 ft seas and a chance of showers early. Conditions remain hazardous through the Bay; the best improvement shown is Sunday night, when winds turn N 15 to 20 kt and then NW 10 to 15 kt after midnight.
Chesapeake Bay & Delmarva-facing Waters: Gale conditions affect the middle and lower Bay tonight, with NE winds 30 to 35 kt and gusts up to 45 kt; rain is possible. Wave-height data is limited in the available Bay summary, but northeast wind and gale headlines make exposed Bay reaches rough. Even the lighter Chesapeake period tonight holds NE winds 15 to 20 kt with gusts to 30 kt.
Wind & Seas Outlook: The peak period is tonight, when coastal winds reach 30 to 35 kt with gusts up to 45 kt and offshore seas build to 11 to 14 ft. Conditions ease slowly, with the lightest winds and lowest listed Bay seas not arriving until Sunday night.
Marine Alerts:
- Gale Warnings: coastal waters through Friday morning; Delaware Bay through Thursday morning north and Thursday evening south; Chesapeake zones through Thursday and early Friday.
- Small Craft Advisories: upper and central Chesapeake through Friday morning.
- Coastal Flood Warnings/Advisories and Watches: widespread Delmarva and Chesapeake shoreline impacts through Thursday and Friday.
- High Surf Advisories and Rip Current Statement: Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia beaches.
Best Window to be Out: Sunday night, mainly Delaware Bay after midnight, when winds become NW 10 to 15 kt and seas drop to 1 ft or less.
Worst Window: Tonight—gale-force northeast winds, gusts to 45 kt, and 11 to 14 ft coastal seas.
Bottom Line: Do not launch today unless you have a necessary, well-protected inshore operation and can avoid gale-exposed waters.
— US Weather Warriors #DelmarvaWeather #MarineWeather #BoatingWeather