NOAA NWS / Event history
Special Marine Warning issued October 16 at 6:22PM EDT until October 16 at 8:15PM EDT by NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC
Special Marine Warning · Tidal Potomac from Indian Head to Cobb Island MD. Severe; likely; urgency: immediate.
- Bulletin issued
- 16 October 2026 at 22:22 UTC
- First saved by us
- 16 October 2026 at 22:32 UTC
- Last included in a daily record
- 17 October 2026
The linked daily edition preserves what we captured that UTC day; this event page is not a live warning.
- Source classification
- Severe · Source alert
A recent feed check does not mean a new observation. This page preserves source records; it does not establish current safety or warning status.
- Issuer / area
- NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC · Tidal Potomac from Indian Head to Cobb Island MD
- Certainty / urgency
- Likely / Immediate
- Message expiry (not hazard end)
- 17 October 2026 at 00:15 UTC
- Forecast onset / end
- 16 October 2026 at 22:22 UTC / 17 October 2026 at 00:15 UTC
Archived official description
SMWLWX The National Weather Service in Sterling Virginia has issued a * Special Marine Warning for... Tidal Potomac from Indian Head to Cobb Island MD... * Until 815 PM EDT. * At 621 PM EDT, a gust front was located along a line extending from 17 nm west of Alexandria to 29 nm northwest of Quantico to 41 nm west of Aquia Creek, moving southeast at 20 knots. Behind this gust front are a line of strong thunderstorms. HAZARD...Wind gusts 34 knots or greater. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Boaters in small craft could be thrown overboard by suddenly higher winds and waves capsizing their vessel. * Locations impacted include... Potomac Creek, Widewater, Maryland Point, Nanjemoy Creek, Port Tobacco River, Leesylvania State Park, Quantico, Swan Point, Mathias Point, U.S. 301 Nice Memorial Bridge, Occoquan Bay, Popes Creek, Brent Point, Smallwood State Park, Fairview Beach, Indian Head, and Colonial Beach.
Instructions in this archived message
Move to safe harbor until hazardous weather passes.
The saved record
What changed
0 updates · 1 first record
Each update compares two versions we saved. This may not include every update from the source. A missing report does not mean an event has ended.
First saved record · 16 October 2026 at 22:32 UTC
Saved by us
Starting point
First saved record
Our first saved version of Special Marine Warning issued October 16 at 6:22PM EDT until October 16 at 8:15PM EDT by NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC. We have no earlier saved version to compare.
Bulletin issued: 16 October 2026 at 22:22 UTC
View saved version 1
Original saved fields, unchanged. This is our record, not an archived copy of the external webpage.
{ "id": "nws:d8d2844ee16d45cfd78b025d", "authorityId": "urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.91bd2ad41e5122671e9ae1a52ebfc0df4fdb26d6.001.1", "sender": "w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov", "references": [], "category": "weather", "title": "Special Marine Warning issued October 16 at 6:22PM EDT until October 16 at 8:15PM EDT by NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC", "eventType": "Special Marine Warning", "occurredAt": "2026-10-16T22:22:00.000Z", "issuedAt": "2026-10-16T22:22:00.000Z", "timeBasis": "Bulletin issued", "effectiveAt": "2026-10-16T22:22:00.000Z", "onsetAt": "2026-10-16T22:22:00.000Z", "expiresAt": "2026-10-17T00:15:00.000Z", "forecastEndAt": "2026-10-17T00:15:00.000Z", "severity": "Severe", "urgency": "Immediate", "certainty": "Likely", "messageType": "Alert", "status": "Source alert", "place": "Tidal Potomac from Indian Head to Cobb Island MD", "coordinates": null, "issuer": "NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC", "summary": "Special Marine Warning · Tidal Potomac from Indian Head to Cobb Island MD. Severe; likely; urgency: immediate.", "description": "SMWLWX\n\nThe National Weather Service in Sterling Virginia has issued a\n\n* Special Marine Warning for...\nTidal Potomac from Indian Head to Cobb Island MD...\n\n* Until 815 PM EDT.\n\n* At 621 PM EDT, a gust front was located along a line extending\nfrom 17 nm west of Alexandria to 29 nm northwest of Quantico to 41\nnm west of Aquia Creek, moving southeast at 20 knots. Behind this\ngust front are a line of strong thunderstorms.\n\nHAZARD...Wind gusts 34 knots or greater.\n\nSOURCE...Radar indicated.\n\nIMPACT...Boaters in small craft could be thrown overboard by\nsuddenly higher winds and waves capsizing their vessel.\n\n* Locations impacted include...\nPotomac Creek, Widewater, Maryland Point, Nanjemoy Creek, Port\nTobacco River, Leesylvania State Park, Quantico, Swan Point,\nMathias Point, U.S. 301 Nice Memorial Bridge, Occoquan Bay, Popes\nCreek, Brent Point, Smallwood State Park, Fairview Beach, Indian\nHead, and Colonial Beach.", "instruction": "Move to safe harbor until hazardous weather passes.", "url": "https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.91bd2ad41e5122671e9ae1a52ebfc0df4fdb26d6.001.1", "source": "nws", "sourceName": "NOAA NWS" }Visit the external source ↗The external page may have changed since this version was saved.