Gale Warnings from Cape Cod to the lower Chesapeake Bay; NJ striper trips are canceling Monday

Update, Thursday October 22 at 12:13 AM EDT: NHC Tropical Cyclone Discussion Number 2, issued at 11:00 PM AST Wednesday, placed Subtropical Storm Josephine (AL102026) at 37.7°N, 69.4°W, moving north-northeastward at 5 knots with maximum sustained winds of 55 knots (65 mph). NHC forecast the storm to accelerate northeast and east-northeast through Thursday as an upper-level trough develops, with the center expected to pass south of Newfoundland late Friday. Josephine is forecast to become a hurricane-force extratropical cyclone within 24 hours; NHC noted the storm is unlikely to remain subtropical long due to cooler waters and increasing wind shear. The system will be absorbed by a larger extratropical low by 96 hours. Hazards to U.S. coastal waters continue to be covered through local NWS zone products. Late-evening NDBC observations from 9:26 PM to 10:40 PM EST Wednesday confirm rough conditions across the warned corridor: Cape Hatteras East NC (41120) measured 17-foot seas and water at 67 degrees Fahrenheit as of 10:26 PM EST; Virginia Beach Offshore VA (44088) measured 14-foot seas and water at 66 degrees Fahrenheit as of 9:30 PM EST; Cape Henry VA (44099) measured 7-foot seas and water at 65 degrees Fahrenheit as of 10:26 PM EST; Bethany Beach DE (44084) measured 6-foot seas and water at 62 degrees Fahrenheit as of 9:26 PM EST; Jeffrey's Ledge NH (44098) measured 10-foot seas and water at 55 degrees Fahrenheit as of 10:30 PM EST; Nantucket Sound MA (44020) recorded NNE winds of 25 knots gusting to 31 knots and water at 56 degrees Fahrenheit as of 10:40 PM EST; Boston MA (44013) recorded NNE winds of 23 knots gusting to 27 knots and water at 57 degrees Fahrenheit as of 10:40 PM EST. Gale Warnings from Maine through the Montauk corridor remain active through Friday afternoon. The storm is tracking away from U.S. waters; offshore departure windows from northern New England may not reopen until warnings lift Friday afternoon. Pull the current NHC track at nhc.noaa.gov and verify zone text at the relevant NWS office before any departure.

Update, Wednesday October 21 at 10:00 PM EDT: NHC Advisory Number 1 for Subtropical Storm Josephine (AL102026), issued 5:00 PM AST Wednesday, placed the storm at 37.4°N, 69.5°W, approximately 265 miles south of Nantucket, with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph. The storm was moving north at 6 mph and was forecast to accelerate northeastward, staying south of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. The advisory warned of gale-force wind gusts possible along the northeastern U.S. coast through Thursday. Large swells are creating life-threatening surf and rip current conditions along the eastern seaboard. Minor to locally moderate coastal flooding is ongoing along the Mid-Atlantic coast through midweek; NHC projected the storm would become a post-tropical cyclone with hurricane-force winds by late Thursday while moving clear of U.S. waters. Evening NDBC readings confirm elevated seas across the warned corridor: Cape Hatteras East NC (41120) measured 17-foot seas and water at 67 degrees Fahrenheit as of 8:26 PM EST; Virginia Beach Offshore VA (44088) measured 15-foot seas and water at 66 degrees Fahrenheit as of 8:30 PM EST; Barnegat NJ (44091) measured 10-foot seas and water at 63 degrees Fahrenheit as of 8:30 PM EST; Cape Henry VA (44099) measured 8-foot seas and water at 65 degrees Fahrenheit as of 8:26 PM EST; Jeffrey's Ledge NH (44098) measured 9-foot seas and water at 54 degrees Fahrenheit as of 8:30 PM EST; Nantucket Sound MA (44020) recorded NNE winds of 23 knots gusting to 27 knots and water at 58 degrees Fahrenheit as of 8:40 PM EST. A subsequent NHC advisory was expected around 8:00 PM AST; pull the current track and hazards at nhc.noaa.gov for the latest position and intensity. The active Gale Warnings from Maine through the Montauk, NY corridor remain in effect. Verify zone text at weather.gov/gyx (NWS Gray ME), weather.gov/box (NWS Boston/Norton MA), and weather.gov/okx (NWS Upton NY) before any departure.

Update, Wednesday October 21 at 6:15 PM EDT: Gale Warnings have expanded to cover the Maine coast, extending the warned corridor north of Cape Cod. NWS Caribou ME issued Gale Warnings at 1:34 PM EDT for coastal and offshore waters from Eastport ME through Schoodic Point ME and from Schoodic Point ME through Stonington ME, running through October 23 at 2:00 PM EDT. NWS Gray ME issued Gale Warnings at 2:29 PM EDT for coastal waters from Stonington ME through Port Clyde ME, Port Clyde ME through Cape Elizabeth ME, and Cape Elizabeth ME through Merrimack River MA out 25 NM; offshore zones for those same areas from 25 to 60 NM are also warned. All NWS Gray ME warnings run through October 23 at 2:00 PM EDT. NWS Boston/Norton MA has extended warnings for Cape Cod Bay, Nantucket Sound, Vineyard Sound, and Buzzards Bay, and added warnings for Massachusetts Bay, Ipswich Bay, and Stellwagen Bank coastal waters; all Boston office warnings now run through October 23 at 2:00 PM EDT. Sandy Hook NJ to Moriches Inlet NY offshore zones noted in the noon update have expired as forecast at 4:00 PM EDT. The Moriches Inlet to Montauk Point NY zones — nearshore out 20 NM and offshore from 20 to 60 NM — remain active from NWS Upton NY through 11:00 AM EDT Thursday, October 22. Separately, NHC classified Subtropical Storm Josephine (AL102026) at 5 PM AST Wednesday in the open Atlantic; as of that advisory the storm was forecast to track northeastward away from the United States. Monitor the current NHC track at nhc.noaa.gov. Afternoon NDBC readings: Nantucket Sound (44020) recorded NNE winds of 23 knots gusting to 31 knots and 4-foot seas, water at 57°F as of 4:20 PM EST; Jeffrey's Ledge NH (44098) measured 9-foot seas and water at 54°F as of 3:00 PM EST; Cape Cod Bay MA (44090) measured 5-foot seas and water at 58°F as of 2:30 PM EST; Barnegat NJ (44091) measured 10-foot seas and water at 63°F as of 3:00 PM EST; Virginia Beach Offshore VA (44088) measured 16-foot seas and water at 66°F as of 2:30 PM EST; Diamond Shoals NC (41025) recorded N winds of 25 knots gusting to 29 knots, 11-foot seas, and water at 67°F as of 4:20 PM EST; Cape Hatteras East NC (41120) measured 16-foot seas and water at 67°F as of 4:26 PM EST. Any departure from Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, or Long Island offshore waters is inappropriate under active warnings through at least Thursday morning; New England warnings extend through Friday afternoon. Verify the current zone text at weather.gov/car (NWS Caribou ME), weather.gov/gyx (NWS Gray ME), weather.gov/box (NWS Boston/Norton MA), and weather.gov/okx (NWS Upton NY) before any departure.

Update, Wednesday October 21 at noon EDT: NWS Wakefield VA has cleared the Gale Warnings for coastal waters from Fenwick Island DE to Chincoteague VA out 20 NM and from Chincoteague to Parramore Island VA out 20 NM, both originally set to expire at 7:00 PM EDT Wednesday. NY offshore zone warnings from NWS Upton NY remain active: Sandy Hook NJ to Fire Island Inlet NY (20 to 60 NM) and Fire Island Inlet NY to Moriches Inlet NY (20 to 60 NM) run through 4:00 PM EDT Wednesday; the Moriches Inlet to Montauk Point NY zones, nearshore out 20 NM and offshore from 20 to 60 NM, run through 11:00 AM EDT Thursday, October 22. Seas along the mid-Atlantic coast remain elevated despite the VA warning clearance. NDBC buoy 44088 (Virginia Beach Offshore, VA) measured 15-foot seas and water at 66°F as of 10:30 AM EST; NDBC station 44099 (Cape Henry, VA) measured 8-foot seas and water at 65°F; NDBC station 44084 (Bethany Beach, DE) measured 7-foot seas and water at 62°F. NDBC station 44020 (Nantucket Sound) recorded NE winds of 23 knots gusting to 31 knots and water at 58°F as of 10:30 AM EST; NDBC station 44098 (Jeffrey's Ledge, NH) measured 9-foot seas and water at 54°F as of 10:30 AM EST. Diamond Shoals NC (41025) recorded north winds of 23 knots gusting to 27 knots and water at 68°F; Cape Hatteras East NC (41120) measured 14-foot seas. Offshore departures from Long Island and the Connecticut outer coast remain inappropriate under the active NY zone warnings through at least 4:00 PM EDT Wednesday and through Thursday morning on the Montauk corridor. Confirm current zone text at weather.gov/okx (NWS Upton NY) before any departure from NY offshore waters.

Update, Wednesday October 21 at 3:00 AM EDT: NWS Upton NY issued new Gale Warnings at 2:33 AM EDT for NY offshore zones. Sandy Hook NJ to Fire Island Inlet NY from 20 to 60 NM and Fire Island Inlet NY to Moriches Inlet NY from 20 to 60 NM both run through 4:00 PM EDT Wednesday. The Moriches Inlet to Montauk Point zones — nearshore out 20 NM and offshore from 20 to 60 NM — run through 11:00 AM EDT Thursday, October 22. NWS Wakefield VA issued a Gale Warning at 2:17 AM EDT for coastal waters from Chincoteague to Parramore Island VA out 20 NM, through 7:00 PM EDT Wednesday; earlier warnings for the Cape Charles Light to NC border corridor have been cancelled. NDBC buoy readings as of 1:00 AM EST: Barnegat NJ (44091) measured 10-foot seas and water at 63°F; Virginia Beach Offshore VA (44088) measured 15-foot seas and water at 66°F; Cape Henry VA (44099) measured 8-foot seas and water at 66°F. Diamond Shoals NC (41025) recorded NNE winds of 29 knots gusting to 33 knots and water at 68°F; Cape Hatteras East NC (41120) measured 13-foot seas and water at 68°F. Nantucket Sound (44020) recorded NNE winds of 21 knots gusting to 27 knots; Jeffrey's Ledge NH (44098) measured 7-foot seas and water at 54°F; Cape Cod Bay MA (44090) measured 4-foot seas and water at 58°F. Confirm the current zone text at weather.gov/okx (NWS Upton NY) and weather.gov/akq (NWS Wakefield VA) before any departure from NY or Virginia coastal waters.

Update, Tuesday October 20 at noon EDT: NDBC buoy readings from 10:30 to 10:40 AM EST confirm gale-force conditions are sustained across the warned corridor. Virginia Beach Offshore (44088) measured 15-foot seas and water at 66°F. Diamond Shoals NC (41025) recorded north winds of 27 knots gusting to 31 knots and water at 69°F. Cape Hatteras East NC (41120) measured 11-foot seas and water at 68°F at 9:56 AM EST. Nantucket Sound (44020) recorded north winds of 21 knots gusting to 25 knots. Jeffrey's Ledge NH (44098) showed 8-foot seas and water at 54°F; Cape Cod Bay (44090) measured 4-foot seas and water at 59°F. All warned zones remain active. The NC offshore zones from 20 to 60 NM — from Currituck Beach Light south through Cape Lookout — are the most exposed corridor and run through early Friday morning, October 22. Any Wednesday departure from NC inlets or NJ coast should verify the current forecast zone text at weather.gov/mhx (NC) and weather.gov/phi (NJ) before leaving the dock.

Update, Tuesday October 20 at 6:15 AM EDT: NWS Upton NY issued a Gale Warning at 5:51 AM EDT for coastal waters from Fire Island Inlet NY to Moriches Inlet NY out 20 nautical miles, through 6:00 PM EDT Wednesday, October 21. The Moriches Inlet to Montauk Point zone noted in the original entry runs through 6:00 PM EDT Wednesday as well. NWS Newport/Morehead City NC issued Gale Warnings beginning at 3:00 AM EDT Tuesday for the full North Carolina coastal and offshore corridor. Nearshore zones from south of Currituck Beach Light through Cape Hatteras to Ocracoke Inlet NC, out 20 NM, run through 11:00 PM EDT Tuesday, October 21; the Ocracoke Inlet to Cape Lookout NC nearshore zone runs through 2:00 AM EDT Wednesday. Offshore zones from Currituck Beach Light to Ocracoke Inlet NC from 20 to 60 NM run through 2:00 AM EDT Friday, October 22; the Ocracoke Inlet to Cape Lookout NC offshore zone from 20 to 60 NM runs through 8:00 PM EDT Wednesday. NDBC buoy 41025 Diamond Shoals NC recorded north winds of 25 knots gusting to 33 knots and water at 69 degrees Fahrenheit at 3:00 AM EST Tuesday; buoy 41120 Cape Hatteras East NC measured 14-foot seas and water at 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Virginia Beach Offshore buoy 44088 recorded 14-foot waves and water at 67 degrees Fahrenheit; Cape Henry buoy 44099 measured 8-foot seas. Chesapeake Bay zone warnings covering the lower Bay and Bay Bridge Tunnel area have cleared per NWS Wakefield VA products. Al Ristori's Tight Lines blog reported October 19 that Tuesday and Wednesday departures of the Golden Eagle from Belmar have been canceled due to high seas. Any departure from NC coastal waters, Outer Banks inlets, or offshore NC zones should pull the current zone text at weather.gov/mhx before leaving the dock.

Multiple National Weather Service offices issued new Gale Warnings between 1:10 AM and 2:47 AM EDT Monday, October 19, 2026 for coastal waters from Cape Cod Bay through the lower Chesapeake Bay. The warnings are a continuation of the same northeast coastal low that produced gale conditions across the Carolinas, mid-Atlantic offshore waters, and the Chesapeake Bay over the weekend. Most of the new warnings run through Wednesday. NWS guidance is that mariners should remain in port, alter course, or secure the vessel during gale conditions. Gale Warning criteria apply for sustained winds of 34 to 47 knots.

NWS Boston/Norton MA issued a Gale Warning at 2:00 AM EDT Monday for six southern New England coastal-water zones: Cape Cod Bay, Nantucket Sound, Vineyard Sound, Buzzards Bay, Rhode Island Sound, and Block Island Sound. The warning runs through 8:00 PM EDT Wednesday, October 21. NDBC station 44090 (Cape Cod Bay, MA) recorded seas of 1 foot and water at 58 degrees Fahrenheit as of 3:30 AM EST Monday; conditions in exposed ocean zones are expected to be substantially higher as the system develops. All party-boat and offshore departure points around Cape Cod, Buzzards Bay, New Bedford, Falmouth, and the Vineyard are under warning through Wednesday evening.

NWS Upton NY issued a Gale Warning at 2:21 AM EDT Monday for waters from Moriches Inlet to Montauk Point NY out 20 NM, through 6:00 AM EDT Wednesday, October 21. Montauk is the main Long Island east-end access point for fall striper and tuna trips. No offshore departure from eastern Long Island is appropriate under the warning through Tuesday night. NDBC station 44020 (Nantucket Sound) recorded ENE winds of 10 knots gusting to 14 knots and seas of 1 foot as of 3:50 AM EST Monday; NWS Upton is forecasting gale-force conditions to develop for the offshore zone through Wednesday.

NWS Mount Holly NJ issued a Gale Warning at 2:26 AM EDT Monday for coastal waters from Manasquan Inlet NJ to Fenwick Island DE out 20 NM, through 6:00 AM EDT Wednesday, October 21. The warned corridor covers the entire New Jersey ocean coast and the Delaware shore. NJ fishing reports confirm the conditions are already affecting departures: The Fisherman's October 18 roundup attributed to Al Ristori noted many trips being canceled due to continuing northeast winds, with The Fishermen from Atlantic Highlands postponing the start of its striper season. NDBC station 44084 (Bethany Beach, DE) recorded 5-foot seas and water at 64 degrees Fahrenheit as of 1:26 AM EST Monday.

NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC renewed a Gale Warning at 1:10 AM EDT Monday for the Chesapeake Bay from Drum Point MD to Smith Point VA and Tangier Sound, through 11:00 AM EDT Tuesday, October 20. NWS Wakefield VA issued a separate Gale Warning at 2:47 AM EDT Monday for the lower Bay from Smith Point VA to New Point Comfort VA, through 1:00 PM EDT Tuesday, October 20. Together the two issuances cover the mid- and lower Bay from Drum Point south through the approaches to Hampton Roads, including Tangier Sound and the Smith Point corridor. NDBC station 44099 (Cape Henry, VA, at the Bay mouth) recorded 8-foot seas and water at 67 degrees Fahrenheit as of 3:56 AM EST Monday. NDBC station 44088 (Virginia Beach Offshore, VA) recorded 13-foot seas as of 3:00 AM EST Monday.

Offshore conditions along the mid-Atlantic coast are substantially worse than the inshore buoy readings. NDBC buoy 44014 (Virginia Beach, VA, 64 NM offshore) recorded 14-foot seas as of 3:50 AM EST Monday. NDBC buoy 41025 (Diamond Shoals, NC) recorded NNE winds of 31 knots gusting to 37 knots and 14-foot seas as of 3:50 AM EST Monday. NDBC station 41120 (Cape Hatteras East, NC) reported 14-foot seas and water at 70 degrees Fahrenheit as of 3:56 AM EST Monday.

Updated October 19, 2026, late afternoon: Conditions along the mid-Atlantic coast remained at or above gale height through the afternoon. NDBC station 44088 (Virginia Beach Offshore, VA) measured 14-foot seas at 4:30 PM EST; NDBC station 41120 (Cape Hatteras East, NC) measured 15-foot seas at 4:26 PM EST. NDBC buoy 41025 (Diamond Shoals, NC) recorded north winds of 33 knots gusting to 39 knots at 4:40 PM EST. NDBC station 44091 (Barnegat, NJ) measured 8-foot seas at 4:30 PM EST. Trip disruptions are now confirmed through midweek: Al Ristori's Tight Lines report posted Monday afternoon states that the Tuesday and Wednesday departures of the Golden Eagle from Belmar, NJ have been canceled due to high seas. Anglers with any departure scheduled through Wednesday should confirm trip status directly with the vessel before heading to the dock.

Warning expiration times can be extended or shortened. The NWS zone product is the controlling departure check, not this article or any advisory header. Office links by region: NWS Boston/Norton MA at weather.gov/box; NWS Upton NY at weather.gov/okx; NWS Mount Holly NJ at weather.gov/phi; NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC at weather.gov/lwx; NWS Wakefield VA at weather.gov/akq.

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