National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

 

***  EXPERIMENTAL - NOT FOR OPERATIONAL USE   ***

 

Experimental Surf Forecast Matrix
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What's This?
Product Description Document

 

In the tabs below you can view Surf Forecast Matrices for various beaches over the Wakefield, VA forecast area.  This product is experimental and not intended to be substituted for the official Surf Zone Forecast, which can be viewed HERE.  Additional information on this project and variable definitions can be found HERE. We are seeking feedback on this over the next several months, so please send us your input via an online survey.

The Rip Probabilities included in the matrices below are from a rip current forecast model tied to NOAA's Nearshore Wave Prediction System. This model predicts the probabilities of hazardous rip currents occurring using output from the nearshore wave model and predicted tide levels. Values are calculated from 0-100%, hourly through 144 hours.

 

 

Maryland  Beaches

Date               Sun 09/29      Mon 09/30                               Tue 10/01
EDT 3hrly          17   20   23   02   05   08   11   14   17   20   23   02   05   08   11   14

Rip Current Risk                           Mod  Mod  Mod  Mod                     High High High
Rip Probability    39   39   53   54   38   36   52   57   43   38   53   59   44   36   49   61
Surf Height (ft)    2    2    2    2    2    2    2    2    2    2    2    2    3    3    3    3
Dom Period (s)     10    9    9    9    9    7    7    6    6    6    6    6    6    7    7    7
Chance Precip      20   30   20   20   20   40   40   40   40   50   50   50   50   50   50   50
TSTM Potential   None None None None None None None None None None None None None None None  Low
Cloud Cover      Pcld Mcld Mcld Mcld Mcld Mcld Mcld Mcld  Cld  Cld  Cld Mcld  Cld Mcld Mcld Mcld
Temperature        73   70   70   69   68   69   70   71   71   71   70   69   68   68   70   71
Heat Index                                                                                      
Wind (mph)        E12 NE12 NE13 NE14 NE14 NE16 NE17 NE18 NE20 NE20 NE18  E17  E18 NE18  E18 NE18
Wind Gust                              20   22   23   24   26   26   24   23   24   24   25   24


Date                         Wed 10/02           Thu 10/03           Fri 10/04
EDT 6hrly          17   23   05   11   17   23   05   11   17   23   05   11   17

Rip Probability    50   60   62   65   72   74   75   68   68   MM   MM   MM   MM
Surf Height (ft)    3    3    3    3    3    2    2    2    2    2    2    2    2
Dom Period (s)      7    8    8    8    9    8    9    9    9   MM   MM   MM   MM
Chance Precip      50   20   10    5    5    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0
TSTM Potential    Low None None   MM   MM   MM   MM   MM   MM   MM   MM   MM   MM
Cloud Cover      Mcld Mcld Pcld Pcld Pcld Mclr Mclr Pcld Mclr Mclr Mclr Pcld Pcld
Temperature        70   66   64   68   69   64   63   67   70   65   64   69   71
Heat Index                                                                       
Wind (mph)       NE20 NE17 NE15 NE14 NE13   N8   N7  NE8   E8  SE7  SE7  SE8  SE8
Wind Gust          26   23   22                                                  

 
Accomack-Northampton  Beaches

Date               Sun 09/29      Mon 09/30                               Tue 10/01
EDT 3hrly          17   20   23   02   05   08   11   14   17   20   23   02   05   08   11   14

Rip Current Risk                           Mod  Mod  Mod  Mod                     High High High
Rip Probability    29   33   53   48   24   23   44   49   27   24   37   45   24   18   35   46
Surf Height (ft)    2    2    2    2    2    2    3    3    3    3    3    3    4    4    4    3
Dom Period (s)     10    9    9    9    9    9    9    9    9    9    9    9    9    9    9    9
Chance Precip      10   20   20   20   20   30   30   40   40   50   50   50   50   50   50   50
TSTM Potential   None None None None None None None None None None None None None None None  Low
Cloud Cover      Pcld Mcld Mcld Mcld Mcld Mcld Mcld Mcld Mcld  Cld Mcld Mcld  Cld Mcld Mcld Mcld
Temperature        74   73   72   71   71   71   73   73   72   70   69   69   68   68   71   72
Heat Index                                                                                      
Wind (mph)        E12  E12 NE13 NE13 NE14 NE15 NE17 NE17 NE20 NE20 NE17  E16 NE16 NE17  E18 NE18
Wind Gust                              20   21   23   24   26   26   24   22   22   23   24   24


Date                         Wed 10/02           Thu 10/03           Fri 10/04
EDT 6hrly          17   23   05   11   17   23   05   11   17   23   05   11   17

Rip Probability    26   41   36   44   44   53   58   56   55   MM   MM   MM   MM
Surf Height (ft)    4    4    4    4    3    3    3    3    3    2    2    2    2
Dom Period (s)      9    9   10    9   10   10   10   10   10   MM   MM   MM   MM
Chance Precip      50   20   10    5    5    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0
TSTM Potential    Low None None   MM   MM   MM   MM   MM   MM   MM   MM   MM   MM
Cloud Cover      Mcld Mcld Pcld Pcld Pcld Mclr Mclr Mclr Mclr Mclr Mclr Pcld Pcld
Temperature        72   67   65   69   70   64   63   68   70   66   65   69   71
Heat Index                                                                       
Wind (mph)       NE21 NE17  N16  N15 NE13   N9   N8  NE8   E8  SE7   E7   E8  SE9
Wind Gust          28   24   22   20                                             

 
Virginia  Beach

Date               Sun 09/29      Mon 09/30                               Tue 10/01
EDT 3hrly          17   20   23   02   05   08   11   14   17   20   23   02   05   08   11   14

Rip Current Risk                           Mod  Mod  Mod  Mod                     High High High
Rip Probability    10   10   17   16    9    9   18   22   14   14   19   23   15   12   19   26
Surf Height (ft)    2    2    2    2    2    2    2    2    3    3    3    3    3    3    4    4
Dom Period (s)     10   10   10   10   10    9    9    9    9    9    9    9    9    9    9    9
Chance Precip      20   20   20   20   20   30   30   40   40   50   50   30   30   40   40   50
TSTM Potential   None None None None None None None None None  Low None None None None None  Mod
Cloud Cover      Pcld Pcld Pcld Pcld Pcld Pcld Pcld Pcld Pcld Mcld Mcld Pcld Mcld Mcld Mcld Mcld
Temperature        77   74   73   71   70   69   72   73   76   74   71   70   70   70   74   75
Heat Index                                                                                      
Wind (mph)         E8  NE9  NE8  NE8  NE9  NE9 NE13 NE13 NE15 NE16  E14  E12  E12 NE12 NE12 NE13
Wind Gust                                                  20   21                              


Date                         Wed 10/02           Thu 10/03           Fri 10/04
EDT 6hrly          17   23   05   11   17   23   05   11   17   23   05   11   17

Rip Probability    19   24   26   29   31   32   35   35   39   MM   MM   MM   MM
Surf Height (ft)    4    4    4    4    4    4    4    4    4    3    3    3    3
Dom Period (s)      9    9   11   10   10   10   10   10   10   MM   MM   MM   MM
Chance Precip      50   20    5    5    5    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0
TSTM Potential    Mod  Low None   MM   MM   MM   MM   MM   MM   MM   MM   MM   MM
Cloud Cover      Mcld Mcld Pcld Pcld Pcld Mclr Mclr Mclr Mclr Mclr Pcld Pcld Pcld
Temperature        75   69   67   70   71   68   67   70   71   68   67   70   71
Heat Index                                                                       
Wind (mph)       NE16  N16  N20  N16  N14  NE8   N7  NE9   E9   E8   E7   E8  SE8
Wind Gust          21   21        22                                             

 
Currituck  Beaches

Date               Sun 09/29      Mon 09/30                               Tue 10/01
EDT 3hrly          17   20   23   02   05   08   11   14   17   20   23   02   05   08   11   14

Rip Current Risk                           Mod  Mod  Mod  Mod                     High High High
Rip Probability    17   16   24   22   13   13   22   24   15   14   23   27   18   16   25   32
Surf Height (ft)    2    2    2    2    2    2    2    2    3    3    3    3    3    3    4    4
Dom Period (s)     10   10   10   10   10    9    9    9    9    9    9    9    9    9    9    9
Chance Precip      20   20   20   20   20   30   30   40   40   40   40   30   30   40   40   50
TSTM Potential   None None None None None None None None None  Low None None None None None  Mod
Cloud Cover      Mclr Pcld Pcld Mcld Pcld Pcld Pcld Pcld Pcld Mcld Mcld Mcld Mcld Pcld Mcld Pcld
Temperature        76   74   72   71   69   69   71   73   74   73   71   71   69   70   74   75
Heat Index                                                                                      
Wind (mph)         E8  NE8  NE7  NE7  NE6  NE8  NE9 NE10 NE12 NE12  E10   E9  NE8  NE9  NE9 NE10
Wind Gust                                                                                       


Date                         Wed 10/02           Thu 10/03           Fri 10/04
EDT 6hrly          17   23   05   11   17   23   05   11   17   23   05   11   17

Rip Probability    25   35   38   41   43   45   46   48   50   MM   MM   MM   MM
Surf Height (ft)    4    4    4    5    5    4    4    4    4    3    3    3    3
Dom Period (s)      9   11   11   11   10   11   11   12   12   MM   MM   MM   MM
Chance Precip      50   20    5    5    5    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    5
TSTM Potential    Mod None None   MM   MM   MM   MM   MM   MM   MM   MM   MM   MM
Cloud Cover      Pcld Pcld Pcld Pcld Pcld Mclr Mclr Mclr Mclr Mclr Pcld Pcld Pcld
Temperature        75   70   68   70   71   68   67   70   71   69   68   71   71
Heat Index                                                                       
Wind (mph)       NE14  N15  N18  N17  N14   N9   N8   N9  NE9   E8   E7   E8   E8
Wind Gust               20   23   22