Alert archive / Massachusetts / Rip Current Statements in 2026

Rip Current Statement 5, NWS Boston/Norton, MA

July 25, 2026Barnstable County, Nantucket County, Massachusetts

NWS Boston/Norton, MA issued this rip current statement at Jul 25, 2026, 1:11 PM EDT for Barnstable County, Nantucket County, Massachusetts. It took effect at Jul 25, 2026, 8:00 PM EDT. It was in force for 24 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 25, 2026, 1:11 PM EDT (17:11 UTC)
In effect from
Jul 25, 2026, 8:00 PM EDT
Expired
Jul 26, 2026, 8:00 PM EDT
In force
24 hr
Issued by
NWS Boston/Norton, MA

Counties Barnstable County, MA, Nantucket County, MA

The radar

The Boston radar (KBOX), 98 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 17:10 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The nearest sounding before it

Brookhaven, NY (KOKX), launched 12:00Z, 5.2 hours before the alert went out and 237 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Brookhaven, NY at 12:00Z on 2026-07-25Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Brookhaven, NY at 12:00Z on 2026-07-25The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -22 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1608 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
22 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-22 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
30 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

881 
WHUS41 KBOX 251711
CFWBOX

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA
111 PM EDT Sat Jul 25 2026

MAZ022-260815-
/O.NEW.KBOX.RP.S.0005.260726T0000Z-260727T1200Z/
Barnstable MA-
111 PM EDT Sat Jul 25 2026

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK IN EFFECT FROM 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING
THROUGH MONDAY MORNING...

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents expected.

* WHERE...Barnstable MA County, especially east facing beaches.

* WHEN...From 8 PM EDT this evening through Monday morning.

* IMPACTS...Rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away 
  from shore into deeper water.


PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Swim near a lifeguard. If caught in a rip current, relax and
float. Don't swim against the current. If able, swim in a
direction following the shoreline. If unable to escape, face the
shore and call or wave for help.

&&

$$
2 follow-up statements
061 
WHUS41 KBOX 260856
CFWBOX

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA
456 AM EDT Sun Jul 26 2026

MAZ024-270000-
/O.EXA.KBOX.RP.S.0005.000000T0000Z-260727T1200Z/
Nantucket MA-
456 AM EDT Sun Jul 26 2026

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK IN EFFECT THROUGH MONDAY MORNING...

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents.

* WHERE...Nantucket MA County.

* WHEN...Through Monday morning.

* IMPACTS...Rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away 
  from shore into deeper water.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Swim near a lifeguard. If caught in a rip current, relax and
float. Don't swim against the current. If able, swim in a
direction following the shoreline. If unable to escape, face the
shore and call or wave for help.

&&

$$

MAZ022-270000-
/O.CON.KBOX.RP.S.0005.000000T0000Z-260727T1200Z/
Barnstable MA-
456 AM EDT Sun Jul 26 2026

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH MONDAY
MORNING...

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents.

* WHERE...Barnstable MA County.

* WHEN...Through Monday morning.

* IMPACTS...Rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away 
  from shore into deeper water.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Swim near a lifeguard. If caught in a rip current, relax and
float. Don't swim against the current. If able, swim in a
direction following the shoreline. If unable to escape, face the
shore and call or wave for help.

&&

$$
801 
WHUS41 KBOX 261913
CFWBOX

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA
313 PM EDT Sun Jul 26 2026

MAZ022-024-270000-
/O.EXT.KBOX.RP.S.0005.000000T0000Z-260727T0000Z/
Barnstable MA-Nantucket MA-
313 PM EDT Sun Jul 26 2026

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS
EVENING...

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents.

* WHERE...Barnstable MA and Nantucket MA Counties.

* WHEN...Until 8 PM EDT this evening.

* IMPACTS...Rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away 
  from shore into deeper water.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Swim near a lifeguard. If caught in a rip current, relax and
float. Don't swim against the current. If able, swim in a
direction following the shoreline. If unable to escape, face the
shore and call or wave for help.

&&

$$

Nearby

Rip Current Statements in Massachusetts, 2026Every rip current statement in 2026

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.