Atlantic Coast marine forecasts

Buzzards Bay

ANZ234 · Coastal Waters Forecast, National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA · issued Sat, Sep 26, 4:03 AM EDT

Storm Warning in force. Today: NE winds 25 to 30 kt with gusts up to 55 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: NE 5 ft at 6 seconds. Patchy fog. Showers. A slight chance of tstms this morning, then a chance of tstms this afternoon. Vsby 1 to 3 NM.

Buzzards Bay on the map

The zone and the zones around it, tinted where a marine warning or advisory is in force. Tap a neighboring zone to open its forecast.

  • Storm Warning

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Now

The nearest stations reporting each, as of Sat, Sep 26, 3:30 AM EDT.

Wind
NE 18 kt, gusts 31 kt at NBGM3
Waves
8.2 ft at 6 s at 44085
Water
65°F at BZBM3

Alerts in force

  • Storm Warning from Sat, Sep 26, 1:58 AM EDT until Sat, Sep 26, 8:00 PM EDT

    Storm Warning issued September 26 at 1:58AM EDT until September 26 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Boston/Norton MA

    The full text
    * WHAT...Northeast winds 25 to 35 kt with gusts up to 55 kt and
    seas 5 to 8 feet.
    
    * WHERE...Nantucket Sound, Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay.
    
    * WHEN...Until 8 PM EDT this evening.
    
    * IMPACTS...Storm force winds and hazardous seas will capsize or
    damage vessels and reduce visibility.
    Mariners should remain in port, alter course, and/or secure the
    vessel for severe conditions.

The forecast

Coastal Waters Forecast from National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA, issued Sat, Sep 26, 4:03 AM EDT, valid until Sat, Sep 26, 5:00 PM EDT. Wind in knots, seas in feet.

STORM WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING

Today
NE winds 25 to 30 kt with gusts up to 55 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: NE 5 ft at 6 seconds. Patchy fog. Showers. A slight chance of tstms this morning, then a chance of tstms this afternoon. Vsby 1 to 3 NM.
Tonight
NE winds 25 to 30 kt, diminishing to 20 to 25 kt after midnight. Gusts up to 45 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: NE 4 ft at 4 seconds and SW 4 ft at 5 seconds. Patchy fog. Showers. Vsby 1 to 3 NM.
Sunday
NE winds 15 to 20 kt with gusts up to 45 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: NE 4 ft at 4 seconds and SE 3 ft at 9 seconds. Patchy fog. Showers likely. A chance of tstms in the afternoon. Vsby 1 to 3 NM.
Sunday night
NE winds 10 to 15 kt. Gusts up to 30 kt, decreasing to 20 kt after midnight. Seas 3 to 5 ft, subsiding to 2 to 3 ft after midnight. Wave Detail: SE 3 ft at 7 seconds and NE 2 ft at 4 seconds, becoming E 3 ft at 6 seconds. Showers. A chance of tstms in the evening. Patchy fog in the evening with vsby 1 to 3 NM.
Monday
E winds around 10 kt. Seas around 2 ft. Wave Detail: NE 2 ft at 6 seconds. Showers, mainly in the morning.
Monday night
SE winds 5 to 10 kt, becoming SW after midnight. Seas 2 to 3 ft. Wave Detail: SE 3 ft at 7 seconds and E 1 foot at 17 seconds. A chance of showers in the evening.
Tuesday through Wednesday night
SW winds 5 to 10 kt. Seas around 2 ft.

Winds and seas higher in and near tstms.

Seas are reported as significant wave height, which is the average of the highest third of the waves. Individual wave heights may be more than twice the significant wave height.

Synopsis

Synopsis for Massachusetts and Rhode Island coastal waters

A slow moving and intensifying nor'easter approaches southern New England this evening and lingers over the southern waters into this weekend. Dangerous conditions are expected for mariners today through this weekend. Peak NE wind gusts of 35 to 60 kt with maximum seas of 15-25 feet across the open waters are expected. Mariners should keep up to date with the latest forecasts and be prepared to return to port.

Buoys and stations nearby

The latest report from each station within reach of the zone, nearest first. Distances in nautical miles from the middle of the zone.

StationDistanceWindWavesWaterAirPressureReported
NBGM3 8447627 - New Bedford, Barrier Gate, MA6 nmNE 18 kt, gusts 3155°F1010.8 hPaSat, Sep 26, 3:30 AM EDT
BZBM3 8447930 - Woods Hole, MA7 nm65°F56°F1009.5 hPaSat, Sep 26, 3:30 AM EDT
WAXM3 Carriage House, Waquoit Bay Reserve, MA13 nmNNW 5 kt56°F1010.0 hPaSat, Sep 26, 3:00 AM EDT
BUZM3 Buzzards Bay, MA14 nmNE 45 kt, gusts 541007.3 hPaSat, Sep 26, 4:00 AM EDT
44085 Buzzards Bay, MA (260)15 nm8.2 ft at 6 s from NE65°F58°FSat, Sep 26, 3:30 AM EDT
FRVM3 8447386 - Fall River, MA18 nm65°F58°F1011.0 hPaSat, Sep 26, 3:30 AM EDT

The past year

Warnings, watches and advisories the National Weather Service issued for this zone over the past 12 months, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet’s archive.

ProductIssuedMost recent
Gale Warning38Wed, Sep 23, 2026, 5:00 AM EDT
Special Marine Warning9Sun, Aug 23, 2026, 1:07 PM EDT
Storm Warning6Fri, Sep 25, 2026, 2:00 AM EDT
Freezing Spray Warning2Sat, Feb 7, 2026, 4:00 PM EST
Gale Watch24Wed, Sep 9, 2026, 8:00 PM EDT
Storm Watch4Fri, Sep 25, 2026, 2:00 AM EDT
Freezing Spray Watch1Sat, Feb 7, 2026, 4:00 PM EST
Small Craft Advisory84Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 8:00 AM EDT
Freezing Spray Advisory8Mon, Mar 2, 2026, 1:00 AM EST

What this means

Marine forecasts give wind in knots (1 knot is 1.15 mph) and seas in feet, except the high seas forecasts, which give seas in meters. Seas are the significant wave height, the average of the highest third of the waves; individual waves may be more than twice that. On the Great Lakes the forecast gives waves, not seas. "Wave Detail" splits the seas into the wind waves and each swell, with its direction and period.

Each coastal office writes a Coastal Waters Forecast for the bays, sounds and ocean out to 20 to 60 nautical miles, or on the Great Lakes a Nearshore Marine Forecast within 5 nautical miles of shore; the Open Lakes Forecast covers the rest of each lake. The Ocean Prediction Center and the National Hurricane Center write the Offshore Waters Forecasts out to about 250 nautical miles, and the High Seas Forecasts beyond. Forecasts are issued at least twice a day and updated when they go wrong.

Small Craft Advisory
Winds or conditions hazardous to small boats. The thresholds are set by each NWS region: typically sustained winds or frequent gusts of 20 to 25 knots up to 33 knots, and seas of 5 to 7 feet or more.
Gale Warning
Sustained winds or frequent gusts of 34 to 47 knots, not from a tropical cyclone.
Storm Warning
Sustained winds or frequent gusts of 48 to 63 knots, not from a tropical cyclone.
Hurricane Force Wind Warning
Sustained winds or frequent gusts of 64 knots or more, not from a tropical cyclone.
Special Marine Warning
A thunderstorm or squall over the water with winds or gusts of 34 knots or more, hail of 3/4 inch or more, or a waterspout, for up to two hours.
Hazardous Seas Warning
Wave heights or steepness at or above the office’s warning threshold, when the wind alone does not warrant a warning.
Heavy Freezing Spray Warning
Spray freezing on a vessel at 2 cm (3/4 inch) an hour or more.
Tropical Storm and Hurricane Warnings
Tropical storm (34 to 63 knots) or hurricane (64 knots or more) conditions expected within 36 hours. Watches: possible within 48 hours.

Nearby

Open the live map with marine zones and buoysThe hour-by-hour forecast for the middle of the zoneBristol Area BeachesMartha's Vineyard BeachesNewport Area BeachesEvery Atlantic Coast zone

Sources

Coastal Waters Forecast CWFBOX from National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA, issued Sat, Sep 26, 4:03 AM EDT. Original at NWS. Buoy reports from the National Data Buoy Center. Past products from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet. Zone outlines from the NWS marine and offshore zone boundaries. Warnings and advisories from the NWS API, read 08:26 UTC. All public domain, from the National Weather Service.