Cape Hatteras, North Carolina – Gale-force winds up to 40 knots and seas building to 17 feet are impacting offshore waters along the East Coast today, creating hazardous marine conditions near the I-95 corridor from North Carolina to the Mid-Atlantic.
According to the National Weather Service Ocean Prediction Center in Washington, D.C., Gale Warnings are in effect across multiple offshore zones from Currituck Beach Light and Cape Hatteras to Baltimore Canyon and areas beyond 100 nautical miles offshore.
Southwest winds of 30 to 40 knots are forecast to shift north to northwest at 25 to 35 knots before turning southwest again in some zones. The strongest conditions are expected between Cape Hatteras and Baltimore Canyon, including waters 100 to 250 nautical miles offshore.
Significant wave heights are forecast between 8 and 17 feet, with individual waves potentially exceeding twice the reported height. Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms may produce locally higher winds and seas.
While the Gale Warning targets offshore waters beyond 20 nautical miles, rough surf and elevated marine conditions may affect coastal inlets and nearshore boating interests from North Carolina through Virginia and Maryland.
Commercial shipping lanes and recreational vessels departing ports near Norfolk, Virginia Beach and the Outer Banks could encounter dangerous conditions through tonight before gradual improvement begins Thursday.
By Friday, winds are expected to ease below gale force, with seas gradually subsiding to 6 to 10 feet across much of the region.
Mariners are urged to avoid offshore travel during gale conditions and monitor updated forecasts from the Ocean Prediction Center.
