Special Marine Warning Issued for Chesapeake Bay and Baltimore Harbor Through Thursday Morning

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Sterling, Virginia, has issued a Special Marine Warning for several Maryland waterways, including the Chesapeake Bay and the Patapsco River. The alert was issued by the NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC office following radar-indicated hazards associated with an approaching cold front.

Affected Areas

The warning covers the following maritime regions:

• Chesapeake Bay: North of Pooles Island, Pooles Island to Sandy Point, and Sandy Point to North Beach.
• Rivers and Harbors: Patapsco River including Baltimore Harbor, Chester River to Queenstown, Choptank River to Cambridge, and the Little Choptank River.
• Bays: Eastern Bay.

Specific locations impacted include Kent Narrows Bridge, North Point State Park, Magothy River, Dobbins Island, Pooles Island, Gunpowder River, Sandy Point State Park, Northeast River, Bloody Point Light, Thomas Point Light, Parsons Island, Fort Smallwood State Park, Pinehurst, Turkey Point, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Hart Miller Island, Gibson Island, Bodkin Point, and Tolchester Beach.

What You Should Do

Boaters and individuals on the water are urged to move to safe harbor immediately. Gusty winds and high waves are expected to create hazardous conditions. Small craft are at risk of being capsized, and occupants could be thrown overboard by sudden environmental changes.

Expected Conditions

At 4:57 AM EDT, a wind shift associated with an approaching cold front was located along a line extending from 24 nm northwest of Middle River to 10 nm north of Key Bridge, moving east at 30 knots.

• Wind Hazards: Gusts of 34 knots or greater are expected.
• Wind Direction: An abrupt change in wind direction out of the west is occurring.
• Marine Impacts: Suddenly higher winds and waves are likely to impact small vessels.

Timeline

The Special Marine Warning is effective immediately and is scheduled to remain in place until 6:30 AM EDT on March 12, 2026.