Special Marine Warning Issued for Tidal Potomac: Wind Gusts Over 34 Knots Expected
This alert is no longer in effect.
NOAA issued it on April 6, 2026, 4 months ago. Warnings of this kind stay in effect for hours to a few days, so this page is a historical record of what was issued, not a current warning. For conditions where you are right now, check weather.gov (US), weather.gc.ca (Canada), the Met Office (UK), or the Bureau of Meteorology (Australia).
Areazine synthesizes this NWS weather alert directly from NOAA's official public data feed. See our methodology for full source attribution and refresh cadence.
The National Weather Service has issued a Special Marine Warning for the Tidal Potomac through 7:45 AM EDT Thursday due to dangerous wind gusts and abrupt wind shifts.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Special Marine Warning
- Affected area
- Tidal Potomac
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Baltimore Washington
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: historical. It was issued 4 months ago; use the issuing agency's live warning service for current conditions in Tidal Potomac.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in Sterling, Virginia (NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC), has issued a Special Marine Warning for portions of the Tidal Potomac. The alert was triggered by surface observations indicating a wind shift associated with an approaching cold front.
Affected Areas
The warning encompasses the following maritime regions:
- Tidal Potomac from Indian Head to Cobb Island, MD
- Tidal Potomac from Cobb Island, MD, to Smith Point, VA
Specific locations impacted include Yeocomico River, Breton Bay, Saint Clements Bay, Piney Point, Mouth Of The Potomac River, Saint Inigoes Creek, Maryland Point, Nanjemoy Creek, Port Tobacco River, Colonial Beach, Smallwood State Park, Cobb Island, Point Lookout, Tall Timbers, Swan Point, Coltons Point, Mathias Point, U.S. 301 Nice Memorial Bridge, Saint George Island, and the Wicomico River.
What You Should Do
Mariners and boaters in the affected area should move to safe harbor immediately. The expected conditions include gusty winds and high waves that can capsize small craft or throw occupants overboard.
Expected Conditions
At 6:10 AM EDT, a cold front was located along a line extending from 7 nm northeast of Port Tobacco River to Maryland Point to 8 nm southwest of Aquia Creek, moving east at 30 knots.
- Hazards: Wind gusts of 34 knots or greater.
- Wind Shift: Winds are expected to change direction abruptly, coming out of the west.
- Impact: Suddenly higher winds and waves pose a significant risk to small vessels.
Timeline
The alert is effective as of 6:11 AM EDT on March 12, 2026, and is currently set to expire at 7:45 AM EDT.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
Related Weather Alerts
All Weather Alerts →Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this NWS weather alert.