Albemarle Sound Marine Forecast
| Tonight...S Winds 5 To 10 Kt, Increasing To 10 To 15 Kt Late This Evening And Overnight. Waves 1 Ft Or Less. |
| Fri...Sw Winds 5 To 10 Kt. Waves 1 Ft Or Less. |
| Fri Night...Sw Winds 5 To 10 Kt. Waves 1 Ft Or Less. |
| Sat...N Winds 10 To 15 Kt. Waves Around 2 Ft. A Slight Chance Of Showers In The Afternoon. |
| Sat Night...Ne Winds 10 To 15 Kt. Waves Around 2 Ft In The Evening, Then 1 Ft. A Chance Of Showers. |
| Sun...E Winds 5 To 10 Kt, Becoming S In The Afternoon. Waves 1 Ft Or Less. A Chance Of Showers In The Morning, Then Showers With A Chance Of Tstms In The Afternoon. |
| Sun Night...W Winds 5 To 10 Kt, Becoming Nw After Midnight. Waves 1 Ft Or Less. Showers With A Chance Of Tstms In The Evening, Then Showers Likely After Midnight. |
| Mon...N Winds 10 To 15 Kt. Waves Around 2 Ft. Showers Likely, Mainly In The Morning. |
| Mon Night...N Winds 10 To 15 Kt, Increasing To 25 To 30 Kt After Midnight. Waves 2 To 3 Ft. |
| Tue...N Winds 25 To 30 Kt, Becoming Ne 15 To 20 Kt In The Afternoon. Waves 2 To 3 Ft. |
| Tue Night...Ne Winds 15 To 20 Kt, Diminishing To 10 To 15 Kt After Midnight. Waves Around 2 Ft. Winds And Waves Higher In And Near Tstms. |
| Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Wakefield VA 310pm EDT Thu Oct 1 2026 .WHAT HAS CHANGED... - Lowered temperatures slightly for Saturday. No other significant forecast changes. .KEY MESSAGES... 1) Above normal temperatures with dry conditions prevail through Friday. 2) An unsettled weather pattern with cooler and wetter conditions is likely this weekend, followed by a gradual drying trend and cool temperatures next week. As of 310pm EDT Thursday... KEY MESSAGE 1...Above-normal temperatures with dry conditions continue tomorrow. Surface high pressure is sliding offshore this afternoon while an UL ridge builds over the east coast. Breezy SW flow and height rises have led to a warmer than average day across the area. Latest obs show temperatures in the mid 80s under mostly sunny skies. Tomorrow, the high stays just offshore while the ridge aloft is slowly suppressed and pushed east through Sat morning ahead of the next system. Highs are a few degrees warmer tomorrow with much of the area likely reaching 90F. Record highs (included in the Climate section) are generally in the mid to upper 90s for Oct 2nd, so not expecting any broken records, though it could be close in ORF and ECG. Averages for early October, for reference, are in the low to mid 70s. A cold front sinking through the area Friday night will bring about a quick pattern change and return to near-average temps. KEY MESSAGE 2...An unsettled weather pattern with cooler and wetter conditions is likely this weekend, followed by a gradual drying trend and cool temperatures next week. The first of two cold fronts is expected to slide through the local area Friday night into early Saturday. Not a ton of support aloft behind this initial front, but it is enough to suppress the ridge into more of a zonal flow over the local region. Rain associated with the system could move into northern counties as early as late Fri night, but chances for widespread showers mostly hold off until Saturday mid-day/afternoon. Chances will be highest in the piedmont and northern counties at ~70% and tapering to ~30% in the far southeast. The timing of the front has trended a bit faster, which will likely mean cooler temps than previously forecast, especially across the south. Forecast highs for Sat are in the mid 60s across the north and low to mid 70s across the southern counties. The bulk of the Quantitative Precipitation Forecast and more widespread overrunning rainfall arrive Saturday night through Monday morning ahead of a second cold front which is anticipated on Monday. There is high model agreement that Sunday will be wet with widespread showers/rain as tropical moisture streams into the area between the cold fronts. Probability of Precipitation of 70-80% spread across the area Sunday morning and will taper off NW to SE late Sunday into early Mon. Quantitative Precipitation Forecast through Sunday evening has a widespread 1-1.5" with the highest amounts concentrated along and west of the I-95 corridor south of Richmond. NBM probs for over an inch show 60-75% for the bulk of the area (highest SW) and the 12z Euro Ens and GEFS has 30- 50%, which is an increase from the 00z runs. Not expecting much in the way of thunder due to very little instability, but cannot rule out a rumble or two across the southeast on Sunday. A strong area of cool high pressure builds in behind the front, resulting in cooler and drier conditions for next week. Temps will be at or even below seasonal norms with overnight lows dipping into the 40s inland by mid week. Marine As of 300pm EDT Thursday... Key Messages: - Small Craft Advisories are likely for at least the Chesapeake Bay late Friday night into Saturday - A stronger front crosses the waters early next week, and likely brings additional Small Craft Advisories for a majority of the local waters. This afternoon, ~1024 mb high pressure is centered off the coast and extends into the local area. Winds are out of the S to SW and are averaging ~10 knots. Seas are running 2 to 3 feet while waves in the Chesapeake Bay are generally 1 foot or less. The high slides further offshore this evening into tonight as another low pressure system/cold front begins to develop off to our NW. There will be a slight diurnal uptick in winds tonight to 10 to 15 knots (~15 knots northern coastal waters), but we will stay below SCA (Small Craft Advisory) thresholds. Breezy SW winds continue through the day on Friday, but we will continue to remain below SCA (Small Craft Advisory) thresholds. A cold front crosses the waters later Friday evening into Friday night, turning winds to the N-NE in its wake. The incoming cool, dry air over the warm water combined with a still tight pressure gradient looks to cause a brief surge into early Saturday. Latest local wind probs are still showing ~40 to 50% for sustained 18 knots over the Chesapeake Bay and ~60 to 80% over the coastal waters. Seas build to 3 to 4 feet and waves in the Chesapeake Bay build to around 3 feet. SCAs (Small Craft Advisories) may be needed for at least a portion of the Chesapeake Bay late Friday night into early Saturday morning. Winds should diminish to sub-advisory levels Saturday afternoon, but will remain breezy out of the NE-E through the rest of the weekend. A stronger front looks to cross the local waters Monday-Tuesday. The stronger Cold Air Advection will likely result in SCAs (Small Craft Advisories) for the Chesapeake Bay and coastal waters for elevated winds/seas. There is Moderate Rip Risk at the northern beaches and Low Rip Risk for the southern beaches on Friday. A Moderate Rip Risk is expected at all area beaches on Saturday. Climate Record highs are unlikely Friday, though Norfolk may be close so for reference, they are listed below: Record Highs for Friday Oct 2nd: - RIC: 98 (2019) - ORF: 93 (2019) - SBY: 96 (2019) - ECG: 93 (1986) NOAA Wakefield VA Office: Watches - Warnings - Advisories MD...None. NC...None. VA...None. Marine None. |
Wakefield Norfolk VA Radar
Northeast Radar
East Coast Satellite