Gale Warning covers SC and GA coastal waters through Tuesday evening. Red snapper season opener follows.
Updated October 6 at 7:00 AM EDT: NWS Charleston morning product confirms all six Gale Warning zones active. South Santee to Edisto coastal and offshore zones and the Edisto to Savannah coastal zone expire 8:00 PM EDT Tuesday; the Edisto to Savannah offshore zone and both Savannah to Altamaha Sound zones run to 10:00 PM EDT Tuesday. High Surf Advisory for southeastern SC and coastal GA through 2:00 PM EDT Wednesday.
Update, October 6 at 9:11 AM EDT: NWS Charleston issued a Coastal Flood Advisory for Coastal Colleton and Charleston counties in South Carolina, in effect through 8:00 PM EDT Tuesday, October 6. Minor coastal flooding at high tide cycles is expected in low-lying coastal areas, boat ramp approaches, and inlet margins in the Charleston area. The High Surf Advisory for southeastern South Carolina and coastal Georgia counties continues through 2:00 PM EDT Wednesday, October 7. Rip Current Statements for those county zones remain through 8:00 PM EDT Tuesday. The Gale Warning status for offshore zones is summarized in the 7:00 AM update below. NWS Charleston marine products are at weather.gov/chs.
Update, October 6 at 7:00 AM EDT: The NWS Charleston morning marine weather message confirms all six Gale Warning zones remain in effect. The South Santee River to Edisto Beach SC zones (coastal out 20 nautical miles and offshore 20 to 60 nautical miles) expire at 8:00 PM EDT Tuesday. The Edisto Beach SC to Savannah GA coastal zone (out 20 NM) also expires at 8:00 PM EDT Tuesday. The Edisto Beach SC to Savannah GA offshore zone (20 to 60 NM) runs through 10:00 PM EDT Tuesday. The coastal and offshore zones from Savannah GA to Altamaha Sound GA, including Grays Reef National Marine Sanctuary, also expire at 10:00 PM EDT Tuesday. Morning conditions: coastal zones carry northeast winds 20 to 30 knots with gusts to 35 to 40 knots and seas 5 to 9 feet; offshore zones carry northeast winds 25 to 30 knots with gusts to 35 knots and seas 7 to 10 feet. NWS Charleston also issued a Small Craft Advisory for Charleston Harbor through 10:00 PM EDT Tuesday. The High Surf Advisory for southeastern South Carolina and coastal Georgia counties remains in effect through 2:00 PM EDT Wednesday, October 7.
Update, October 6 at 2:22 AM EDT: NWS Charleston SC reissued the Gale Warning for all six zones, moving expiration times from the original Wednesday morning windows to Tuesday evening. Zones from the South Santee River SC to Savannah GA, both coastal (out 20 nautical miles) and offshore (20 to 60 nautical miles), now expire at 8:00 PM EDT Tuesday, October 6. The coastal and offshore zones from Savannah GA to Altamaha Sound GA, including Grays Reef National Marine Sanctuary in the coastal band, expire at 10:00 PM EDT Tuesday. Also overnight, NWS Charleston issued a High Surf Advisory, effective through 2:00 PM EDT Wednesday, October 7, for coastal county zones across southeastern South Carolina and coastal Georgia: Beaufort, Charleston, Colleton, and Jasper counties in South Carolina and Bryan, Chatham, Liberty, and McIntosh counties in Georgia. The Rip Current Statement for the same coastal zones remains in effect through 8:00 PM EDT Tuesday. The South Atlantic federal red snapper opener at 12:01 AM EDT Thursday, October 9 is unchanged.
NWS Charleston SC issued a Gale Warning at 7:12 PM EDT Monday for coastal and offshore zones from the South Santee River SC to Altamaha Sound GA. Six zones are covered: three coastal zones out to 20 nautical miles, including the Grays Reef National Marine Sanctuary off Savannah, and three offshore zones from 20 to 60 nautical miles. Hazardous conditions are expected from 5 AM EDT Tuesday, October 6.
Coastal zones out to 20 NM: northeast winds 25 to 30 knots with gusts up to 35 knots and seas 5 to 8 feet. Offshore zones from 20 to 60 NM: same wind range, seas 7 to 10 feet. Coastal zones expire at 2 AM EDT Wednesday, October 7; offshore zones expire at 5 AM EDT Wednesday. NWS instruction: mariners should remain in port, seek safe harbor, alter course, and/or secure the vessel.
NWS Charleston also issued a Rip Current Statement, active through Tuesday evening, for beach zones across the same region: Beaufort, Charleston, Colleton, and Jasper counties in South Carolina, and Bryan, Chatham, Liberty, and McIntosh counties in Georgia. High surf of 4 to 6 feet is expected along the lower South Carolina coast, 5 to 7 feet along the Georgia coast. The combination of northeast winds, elevated tides, and breaking waves will increase erosion and rip current risk. NWS noted a High Surf Advisory may follow for Tuesday and Tuesday night.
The South Atlantic federal red snapper season opens at 12:01 AM EDT Thursday, October 9 and runs through October 12 at one fish per person per day. Boats based in South Carolina and Georgia ports planning offshore snapper runs face the gale window through Wednesday morning, then need a clean weather check before the Thursday opener. The NWS zone forecast for the specific departure area is the pre-launch check; conditions between the warning's expiration and Thursday morning can shift.
This is a conditions summary, not a go/no-go recommendation for any vessel. The controlling source is the current NWS marine zone forecast from NWS Charleston. Zone text forecasts, tide information, and active warnings are at weather.gov/chs.
On the water: Rules and conditions can change quickly. Confirm current regulations and official marine forecasts for your exact trip.