Gale Warning covers central and lower Chesapeake Bay and Tangier Sound through early Sunday morning

NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC issued a Gale Warning at 10:32 PM EDT Saturday, October 17 for three Chesapeake Bay and tidal-water zones: Chesapeake Bay from North Beach to Drum Point MD; Chesapeake Bay from Drum Point MD to Smith Point VA; and Tangier Sound and the inland waters surrounding Bloodsworth Island. The warning runs through 6:45 AM EDT Sunday, October 18. Gale Warning criteria apply for sustained winds of 34 to 47 knots. Earlier Saturday afternoon, NWS Baltimore issued a broader Gale Warning covering the full Bay from Sandy Point MD south and the tidal Potomac, which cleared by late evening as NWS updated the zone coverage.

NDBC station 44099 (Cape Henry, VA) recorded 9-foot seas and water at 69 degrees Fahrenheit as of 10:26 PM EST Saturday. NDBC station 44088 (Virginia Beach Offshore, VA) recorded 13-foot seas and water at 67 degrees Fahrenheit as of 10:30 PM EST. Cape Henry sits at the Bay mouth; conditions inside the central Bay typically run lower than these outer-water buoy readings, but gale-level wind fetch on the central and lower Bay zones is consistent with the warning.

The zones under the warning cover prime fall striper water, including the Patuxent River corridor, Tangier Sound, and approaches to the Potomac mouth. The October 15 Chesapeake Bay Maryland report from On The Water attributed improving striper fishing across the board to cooler water this week. The Gale Warning closes those zones for any departure Sunday morning. The warning expires at 6:45 AM EDT but can be extended or cleared early. Pull the current NWS zone text at weather.gov/lwx before any Bay departure, not just the advisory header. The Coastal Flood Watch for Hampton Roads and Virginia Beach remains active through Monday morning at weather.gov/akq.

On the water: Rules and conditions can change quickly. Confirm current regulations and official marine forecasts for your exact trip.