Cape Charles Light to Currituck Beach Light Offshore Forecast
| Today...S Winds 15 To 20 Kt, Becoming Sw 15 To 25 Kt. Seas 4 To 6 Ft. Isolated Showers. Slight Chance Of Tstms. |
| Tonight...Sw Winds 15 To 25 Kt, Becoming N. Seas 4 To 7 Ft. Scattered Showers And Tstms. |
| Sun...N To Nw Winds 15 To 25 Kt. Seas 4 To 8 Ft. |
| Sun Night...Nw Winds 15 To 25 Kt, Becoming N 10 To 20 Kt. Seas 4 To 8 Ft. |
| Mon...N Winds 5 To 15 Kt. Seas 3 To 6 Ft. |
| Mon Night...E To Se Winds Less Than 10 Kt, Becoming S. Seas 3 To 5 Ft. |
| Tue...S To Sw Winds 5 To 15 Kt, Increasing To 10 To 20 Kt. Seas 3 To 4 Ft. |
| Tue Night...Sw Winds 15 To 25 Kt. Seas 3 To 5 Ft. |
| Wed...W To Sw Winds 15 To 25 Kt. Seas 3 To 6 Ft. |
| Wed Night...Sw Winds 10 To 20 Kt, Becoming W. Seas 3 To 5 Ft. |
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Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Wakefield VA 1019am EDT Sat April 26 2025 Synopsis A cold front approaches the region today, allowing for scattered showers and storms, particularly this afternoon into early this evening. Drier and cooler weather returns for Sunday and Monday, followed by another warmup with above normal temperatures heading into the middle of next week. An unsettled pattern develops from mid to late week. Near Term - Through Tonight As of 1015am EDT Saturday... Key Messages: - Scattered showers and storms are expected today as a cold front moves across the area. - Locally strong to severe storms are possible this afternoon into early this evening. - Breezy today with SW winds gusting to 20-25 mph. Late morning surface analysis shows a warm front well N of the area over New England, with a trailing cold front extending from the eastern Great Lakes southwestward through the Appalachians and Mid-Deep South and TN Valley. An area of pre-frontal showers/light rain associated with a leading shortwave are moving through the area as of this writing. The coverage of precipitation should remain highest across the N and NW where likely- categorical Probability of Precipitation are in place through the morning. Precip tapers off briefly behind the shortwave with some partial clearing expected this afternoon (best chance across W portions of the FA) as high temps rise into the lower 80s. Any clearing will help boost instability. Confidence is high in scattered thunderstorms developing along and ahead of the cold front his afternoon. While storms could occur across most of the FA, the highest confidence remains generally E of I-95 where 60-80% Probability of Precipitation reside. Additionally, there could be several rounds of storms. Storms likely congeal into a line across SE VA/NE NC this evening, quickly pushing offshore or south of the area by late evening. The environment still looks to be characterized by MLCAPE around 1000 J/kg (SBCAPE around 1500 J/kg) and 25-30 kt of 0-6km shear. Decent low-level lapse rates and seasonally high moisture (dew points in the mid 60s) should support a few strong to severe storms with damaging winds the primary hazard. Small hail to marginally severe hail (up to the size of quarters) is possible, but should isolated given bowing line segments should be the primary convective mode and mid-level lapse rates are poor (6 C/km or less). The entire FA remains under a Marginal (level 1/5) risk for severe storms this afternoon into this evening. Additionally, gusty SW winds are possible outside of any convection today with gusts up to 25 mph inland and 25-30 mph along the coast and across the Eastern Shore possible. Skies clear tonight behind the storms and cold front passage as cooler, drier air moves in. A brief period of breezy NNW winds is possible tonight behind the cold front with gusts up to 25 mph possible (up to 30 mph possible along the coast and across the Eastern Shore). Lows tonight in the mid 40s NW to low-mid 50s SE are expected. Short Term - Sunday Through Monday Night As of 355am EDT Saturday... Key Messages: - Cooler and drier weather returns early this week. Much cooler and drier weather arrives Sunday with highs in the lower 70s (upper 60s across the Eastern Shore) expected. Temps moderate some on Monday with highs in the mid 70s for most. Lows in the mid 40s inland (mid 50s along the coast) Sunday night and upper 40s to lower 50s Monday night are expected. Additionally, Sunday will be breezy behind the cold front with NW winds gusting to ~20-25 mph inland and 30-35 across the Eastern Shore. High pressure builds in Monday with light winds and clear skies. Long Term - Tuesday Through Friday As of 355am EDT Saturday... Key Messages: - Warm weather is expected this week with highs well above normal most days. - An unsettled pattern develops from mid to late week with scattered (mainly diurnal) showers and storms possible Wednesday through Friday. Aloft, a tall ridge builds across the East Coast through late week before a trough approaches from the W on Fri. At the surface, high pressure slides offshore Tue. This will allow for a warmup with well above normal temps expected through the week. Highs in the low-mid 80s Tue, mid-upper 80s Wed, 70s NE to mid 80s SW Thu, and mid 80s Fri are expected. Low pressure tracks well to the N of the local area (in Canada) Tuesday into Wed, pushing a cold front towards the local area Wed. Recent trends have been for a slower/weaker frontal passage with the front now potentially stalling near/over the local area Wednesday evening before lifting back N as a warm front on Thu. As such temps Thu remain uncertain (depending on how far S the front reaches Wednesday night and how quickly it lifts N on Thu). For now, the NBM has highs in the mid 60s along the MD coast and upper 70s to the Northern Neck with 80s farther SW. Scattered showers and storms are possible Wednesday and Thu afternoons/evenings both ahead of/along the cold front on Wednesday and with the front as it lifts N as a warm front on Thu. An area of low pressure tracks towards the Great Lakes on Fri underneath a large trough. As such, additional scattered showers/storms are possible Fri afternoon and evening along/ahead of the cold front. Marine As of 355am EDT Saturday... Key Messages: - Marginal Small Craft Advisory conditions are expected today with south to southwest winds. Thunderstorms ahead of a cold front could necessitate SMWs during the afternoon and evening. - Winds become NNW at around 25 kt with gusts to 30-35 kt tonight into early Sunday behind a cold front. - SCAs (Small Craft Advisories) are in effect for all marine zones starting either this morning or late this evening and continuing through Sunday. - Calmer conditions return Sunday night into the first half of next week. Early this morning, deepening low pressure is tracking across the eastern Great Lakes with high pressure now well offshore. The trailing cold front is approaching the Appalachians at this hour and will continue to move toward the waters today. Winds have become S- SSW and have increased to ~15 kt with gusts to 20 kt. SCAs (Small Craft Advisories) remain in effect starting now for the bay, James River, and coastal waters N of Parramore Island (due to seas that are expected to increase this morning). SCAs (Small Craft Advisories) run through Sunday and continue for the remainder of the waters for the post-frontal winds starting tonight. Winds increase to 15-20 kt with gusts up to 25 kt by 6-7 AM...and am still expecting a slight decrease in wind speeds (back to ~15 kt) this afternoon before the cold front crosses the waters tonight. Tstms are possible from 3-11pm along and just ahead of the front, which could necessitate SMWs. The front (with decent Cold Air Advection for late April with 925mb temps dropping to 2-6C) is forecast to quickly cross the waters between 8 PM- midnight. Winds become NNW following the FROPA and are still expected to average 25 kt with gusts of 30-35 kt between midnight and 10am Sunday morning. While occasional low-end gale gusts are possible (especially on the bay at elevated terminals), not expecting these to be frequent enough (or persist long enough) to warrant any Gale headlines. The guidance has remained relatively consistent over the past 24 hours with even the 00z/26 CAMs (ARW/FV3/NAMNest) suggesting solid SCA (Small Craft Advisory) conditions with occasional 35 kt gusts. Local wind probabilities for >34 kt gusts remain 20-30% north and around 10-15% S of Windmill Pt/Parramore Island. Small Craft Advisory winds continue through most of Sunday, likely dropping to ~15 kt by Sunday evening. While there will be an additional weak push of Cold Air Advection Sunday night, wind speeds are forecast to remain just below SCA (Small Craft Advisory) criteria through the night with probs of >18 kt winds remaining aob 15%. Therefore, did not extend the SCAs (Small Craft Advisories) past 4-7pm Sunday. Much lighter winds are expected on Mon/Tuesday as high pressure builds over the waters. SCAs (Small Craft Advisories) potentially return early Wednesday in elevated SW flow, though uncertainty is high at this time range. Waves in the Chesapeake Bay of 1-3 ft and seas of 3-4 ft S/4-5 ft N are expected today. Seas build to 4-6 ft by late tonight behind the front, with 3-5 ft waves on the bay. Waves/seas remain around SCA (Small Craft Advisory) criteria on Sunday before dropping below criteria Sunday evening. NOAA Wakefield VA Office: Watches - Warnings - Advisories MD...None. NC...None. VA...None. Marine Small Craft Advisory until 7pm EDT Sunday for ANZ630-631. Small Craft Advisory until 4pm EDT Sunday for ANZ632-634-637- 638-650-652. Small Craft Advisory from 1am to 4pm EDT Sunday for ANZ633. Small Craft Advisory from 7pm this evening to 4pm EDT Sunday for ANZ635-636-654-656-658. |
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