Special Marine Warning Issued for Tidal Potomac River MD
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NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC has issued a Special Marine Warning for the Tidal Potomac from Key Bridge to Cobb Island due to a strong thunderstorm with wind gusts of 34 knots or greater.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Special Marine Warning
- Affected area
- Tidal Potomac River, Maryland
- Issued
- August 2, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC
Marine notices apply to named waters or shoreline zones. They may not describe conditions on land, even when the nearest place name is the same.
Record status: publication date is recent, but current status is not stored on this page. Check the issuing agency's live warning service before acting because warnings can be updated, narrowed, or cancelled.
Alert Details
A Special Marine Warning has been issued by the National Weather Service Baltimore MD/Washington DC. The alert is effective from August 2, 2026 at 3:17 PM EDT until August 2, 2026 at 5:15 PM EDT.
Affected Areas
The warning covers Tidal Potomac from Key Bridge to Indian Head MD and Tidal Potomac from Indian Head to Cobb Island MD. Impacted locations include Potomac Creek, Maryland Point, Nanjemoy Creek, Port Tobacco River, Colonial Beach, Leesylvania State Park, Smallwood State Park, Quantico, Gunston Hall, Mathias Point, U.S. 301 Nice Memorial Bridge, Mason Neck State Park, Woodrow Wilson Bridge, Indian Head, Occoquan Bay, Fort Hunt, Popes Creek, Brent Point, Reagan National Airport, and Fairview Beach.
What You Should Do
Boaters should move to safe harbor until hazardous weather passes.
Expected Conditions
At 3:17 PM EDT, a strong thunderstorm was located near Fairview Beach moving north at 30 knots. Hazard includes wind gusts of 34 knots or greater, with radar indicated source. Small craft could be thrown overboard by suddenly higher winds and waves.
Timeline
The alert is in effect from 3:17 PM EDT to 5:15 PM EDT on August 2, 2026.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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