Marine Weather and Tide Forecast for National Harbor, MD

KEY MESSAGES
- A period of well-above normal temperatures begins next week, followed by a potential cold front towards the end of the forecast period.

DISCUSSION

KEY MESSAGE 1...A period of well-above normal temperatures begins next week, followed by a potential cold front towards the end of the forecast period.

KEY MESSAGE 1 DESCRIPTION...

Other than some showers across the Alleghenies tonight and early Saturday, a dry frontal passage is expected east of the Appalachians.

Surface high pressure starts to move offshore on Monday. A pressure gradient to the east brings a slight chance of rain in the morning hours on Monday and Tuesday, primarily over the Alleghenies. Upper-level ridging is expected to persist in the region through midweek. This will allow for a significant extended warming period to occur, allowing for the region to reach potentially record highs by next Wednesday. Highs are currently forecasted to reach the upper 80s for much of the forecast area next Tuesday, with highs in the lower 90s currently forecasted for next Wednesday. Ensemble guidance continues to be well aligned on the progression of this warm-up, but the GFS remains somewhat on the low end of the deterministic spectrum regarding the exact maximum temperatures that could be reached.

Looking ahead, a broad area of low pressure could start to develop over the Great Lakes and make its way over towards the East Coast by late next week. This would bring a cold front through the region in the Thursday-Friday timeframe, potentially bringing a slight cooldown to the region.

AVIATION /07Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/

S winds around 10 kt this afternoon, shifting to N Saturday with gusts up to 20 kt behind a frontal passage. Winds subside Sat night.

Southwest winds will blow around 10 knots on Monday, with wind gusts up to 20 knots possible. Winds should decrease throughout the day on Tuesday. VFR conditions expected across terminals during this period, as any rain chances will remain off to the west.

MARINE

SCA has been issued for Saturday for northerly winds behind a frontal passage.

Small Craft Advisories are likely on Monday through Tuesday morning as 15-20 knot winds blow from the south. Gusts up to 30 knots possible on Monday, with stronger gusts towards the central Chesapeake Bay. SCAs may still be needed on Tuesday morning before winds gradually decrease to 5-10 knots south by Tuesday night.

FIRE WEATHER

Gradual warming and continued dry conditions are expected through this afternoon as high pressure departs offshore. Winds will be a touch stronger today out of the south, and could gust to 20-25 mph, particularly on the higher ridges. Conditions will be dry once again, with min RH values in the 20s to the west of the Blue Ridge, and upper 20s and 30s to the east of the Blue Ridge.

Other than a small chance for a shower in the Alleghenies tonight as a cold front moves through, no precipitation is expected over the next several days. Gusty northerly winds will develop behind the front Saturday morning, but may not overlap as humidity values drop by afternoon. An SPS for elevated fire danger may be needed.

Even warmer conditions are likely early next week as another area of high pressure builds across the Mid Atlantic coast with minimal rain chances. Expecting fuels to further dry out in this pattern, particularly given the high amounts of solar insolation reaching the ground over the past several days.

CLIMATE

Here are some daily temperature records during the April 14-15, 2026 timeframe:

A '+' sign indicates multiple years currently hold that record.
A '!' sign indicates the record is forecast to be tied or broken.

***TUESDAY, APRIL 14TH, 2026*** LOCATION RECORD HIGH (YEAR) RECORD WARM LOW (YEAR)
Washington-National (DCA) 91F (1960) 65F (2014)
Washington-Dulles (IAD) 87F (1960)! 63F (2014)
Baltimore (BWI) 91F (1941) 65F (2018)
Baltimore Inner Harbor (DMH) 90F (1960) 67F (2018)
Martinsburg (MRB) 87F (1960)! 62F (2014)
Charlottesville (CHO) 90F (1945)+! 67F (1899)
Annapolis (NAK) 90F (1941) 65F (1977)
Hagerstown (HGR) 86F (2024)+! 64F (2014)

***WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15TH, 2026*** LOCATION RECORD HIGH (YEAR) RECORD WARM LOW (YEAR)
Washington-National (DCA) 89F (1941)! 65F (2023)! Washington-Dulles (IAD) 87F (1967)! 62F (2023)! Baltimore (BWI) 88F (1941)! 65F (1941)! Baltimore Inner Harbor (DMH) 92F (2024) 67F (1960)! Martinsburg (MRB) 90F (1941)! 63F (1967)
Charlottesville (CHO) 92F (2024)! 68F (1941)
Annapolis (NAK) 91F (1941) 68F (1994)
Hagerstown (HGR) 85F (1960)+! 61F (2023)+!



LWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
DC...None.
MD...Small Craft Advisory from 8 AM to 2 PM EDT Saturday for MDZ008.
VA...Frost Advisory until 9 AM EDT this morning for VAZ025>027.
WV...None.
MARINE...Small Craft Advisory from 8 AM to 2 PM EDT Saturday for ANZ530>534-537-539>541-543.
Small Craft Advisory from 6 PM this evening to 1 AM EDT Saturday for ANZ531>534-537-539>541-543.