The National Weather Service has posted a high wind watch for the coastline of eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island — including Cape Cod, the islands and Block Island — and a coastal flood watch for Massachusetts alone, for Friday and Saturday. Forecasters at its Boston/Norton office are tracking an “anomalous early season strong coastal storm,” and coastal flood warnings are in force along the mid-Atlantic coast.
What’s in force right now
As of the National Weather Service’s active-alert feed fetched at 3:36 p.m. EDT Wednesday, 34 storm-related alerts were in force along the mid-Atlantic and New England coast — a count that will change hourly as products expire, get reissued or get replaced. They break down into nine coastal flood warnings and nine advisories, a coastal flood watch and statement, four high surf advisories, five rip current statements, two beach hazards statements, a high wind watch and two wind advisories.
Along the mid-Atlantic, coastal flood warnings are in force at the Maryland beaches and in Virginia’s Accomack and Northampton counties (NWS Wakefield); in Maryland’s St. Mary’s County (NWS Baltimore/Washington); and along the New Jersey and Delaware shore (NWS Mount Holly). The New Jersey and Delaware warnings run into early Saturday; the Maryland and Virginia warnings end Friday.
A watch, the National Weather Service says, means the hazard is possible and people should prepare; a warning means it is occurring or expected. The High Wind Watch (issued 3:33 p.m. Wednesday) covers Eastern Essex, Suffolk, Eastern Norfolk, Eastern Plymouth, Southern Bristol, Southern Plymouth, Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket in Massachusetts, and Bristol, Washington, Newport and Block Island in Rhode Island, from 8 a.m. Friday to 8 p.m. Saturday. The Coastal Flood Watch (issued 3:09 p.m. Wednesday, same office) is narrower: Eastern Essex, Suffolk, Eastern Norfolk, Eastern Plymouth, Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket — Massachusetts only, leaving out Southern Bristol, Southern Plymouth and all of Rhode Island — from 5 p.m. Friday to 5 p.m. Saturday.
What forecasters are saying
“An anomalous early season strong coastal storm will impact the region with strong winds and coastal flooding/erosion Friday and Saturday, especially eastern MA,” the Boston/Norton office wrote in its area forecast discussion, issued 3:24 p.m. Wednesday. On the track, forecasters said models are “still displaying large a spread in track of ocean low along with its accompanying strong wind fields”: European guidance tracks the low toward the New Jersey coast, while the American GFS and NAM models track it farther east, toward Cape Cod. “Given the time range is still 48+ hours out, a blend/probabilistic approach is more sound than a deterministic path,” the discussion said. The office issued a newer discussion at 4:45 p.m. Wednesday; it keeps the key messages, the 45+ mph gust figure, the rainfall judgment below, the fully-leaved-trees reasoning and the ferry advice quoted below.
Why the bar is lower this time of year
The watch sits below the wind speed that normally triggers one. The formal threshold for a high wind watch has two limbs: sustained winds of at least 40 mph for an hour or more, or gusts of at least 58 mph. This one was issued for gusts the 3:24 p.m. discussion put at “45+ mph” — below the gust limb — because, forecasters explained, “Given it’s only late September and trees are fully leaved, the wind threshold to bring down large branches and limbs is noticeably lower than winter.” “Past experience supports G40-45 mph is sufficient this time of year for wind impacts, including disruptions of power,” they wrote, adding: “We realize winds may fall short of the watch/warning threshold of 58+ mph, but again, the threshold is lower this time of year (40-45mph) given fully leaved trees. Hence, basing this watch on impacts, not hard core wind thresholds.”
The numbers, by product
Two NWS products carry two different wind figures that should not be merged. The 3:24 p.m. area forecast discussion projects gusts of “45+ mph” beginning to overspread coastal Rhode Island and eastern Massachusetts early Friday, “then peaking late Friday into Saturday.” The High Wind Watch product itself, issued 3:33 p.m. Wednesday, is worded differently: “North winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph possible.” On rain, the discussion cites low probabilities of 2 to 4 inches across eastern Massachusetts, “spread out over 3 days,” and forecasters said they are “not expecting any flooding, other than nuisance type roadway ponding.”
What to do
Disruption has already started for one route: the Block Island Ferry’s own service alert, posted Wednesday at 2:45 p.m., says “All High Speed and Traditional ferry departures are cancelled for Wednesday due to sea conditions.” The National Weather Service’s own advice, from the 3:24 p.m. discussion, covers the weekend ahead: “Ferry travelers to Boston, Nantucket, Marthas Vineyard and Block Islands, should check in advance with ferries as service interruptions are likely, especially Friday and Saturday given timing of peak winds.”
The watches themselves also carry instructions. The Coastal Flood Watch says: “If travel is required, allow extra time as some roads may be closed. Do not drive around barricades or through water of unknown depth. Take the necessary actions to protect flood-prone property.” The High Wind Watch says: “Monitor the latest forecasts and warnings for updates.”
How long this lasts
The storm is not expected to be finished by the weekend. “Given the blocky pattern, this coastal/ocean storm will likely linger into Monday with wet impacts,” the discussion said, adding that winds “don’t completely drop off Sunday/Monday, just not as strong as the low weakens.”
This article is current as of the National Weather Service Boston/Norton area forecast discussion issued 4:45 p.m. EDT Wednesday, the high wind watch issued 3:33 p.m. EDT Wednesday and the coastal flood watch issued 3:09 p.m. EDT Wednesday — all Sept. 23, 2026. Alerts change hourly; check the National Weather Service directly for the latest.
This storm was first flagged as a late-week possibility in Plainly Now’s Sept. 19 Northeast weather outlook.