Marine Weather Net

Apalachee Bay and Coastal Waters From Keaton Beach to Ochlockonee River FL out 20 NM Marine Forecast


TODAY

E
WINDS
20
KNOTS

TONIGHT

NNE
WINDS
10
KNOTS

THURSDAY

VARIABLE
WINDS
5 - 10
KNOTS

THURSDAY NIGHT

NNE
WINDS
5 - 10
KNOTS

The Marine Weather Forecast In Detail:
GMZ730 Forecast Issued: 336 AM EDT Wed Mar 29 2023

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON EDT TODAY
Today...North To Northeast Winds Increasing To Near 20 Knots This Morning, Then Decreasing To 10 To 15 Knots This Afternoon. Seas 2 To 4 Feet With A Dominant Period Of 4 Seconds. Protected Waters Choppy.
Tonight...North To Northeast Winds Near 10 Knots, Becoming East And Increasing To Near 15 Knots After Midnight. Seas 2 To 3 Feet With A Dominant Period Of 3 Seconds. Protected Waters A Moderate Chop.
Thursday...East Winds Near 15 Knots, Becoming Variable 5 To 10 Knots In The Afternoon. Seas Around 2 Feet With A Dominant Period Of 3 Seconds. Protected Waters A Moderate Chop.
Thursday Night...North To Northeast Winds 5 To 10 Knots, Becoming East To Southeast 15 To 20 Knots After Midnight. Seas 2 To 3 Feet With A Dominant Period Of 3 Seconds. Protected Waters Choppy.
Friday...Southeast Winds 15 To 20 Knots, Becoming South And Decreasing To Near 10 Knots In The Afternoon. Seas 2 To 4 Feet With A Dominant Period Of 4 Seconds. Protected Waters Choppy.
Friday Night...South Winds 5 To 10 Knots, Increasing To Near 10 Knots. Seas 2 To 3 Feet With A Dominant Period Of 6 Seconds. Protected Waters A Light Chop.
Saturday...South Winds Around 10 Knots. Seas 2 To 3 Feet With A Dominant Period Of 6 Seconds. Protected Waters A Light Chop. A Chance Of Showers And Thunderstorms.
Saturday Night...West Winds Around 10 Knots, Becoming Northwest After Midnight. Seas 2 To 3 Feet With A Dominant Period Of 6 Seconds. Protected Waters A Light Chop. A Chance Of Showers And Thunderstorms In The Evening.
Sunday...North Winds 5 To 10 Knots. Seas 2 To 3 Feet With A Dominant Period Of 4 Seconds. Protected Waters A Light Chop.
Sunday Night...Northeast Winds 5 To 10 Knots. Seas Around 2 Feet With A Dominant Period Of 5 Seconds. Protected Waters A Light Chop. Winds And Waves Higher In And Near Thunderstorms.
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Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Tallahassee FL
424am EDT Wednesday Mar 29 2023

.SHORT TERM... (Thursday through Friday) Issued at 423am EDT Wednesday Mar 29 2023

Rain-free weather is forecast through Friday. Easterly surface winds will prevail on Thursday as high pressure moves by to the north, and the air mass will remain dry.

Surface high pressure will move to near Bermuda on Friday, so surface winds will become southeasterly. Surface dewpoints will rise, and the air mass will start to moisten, particularly west of the Apalachicola and Flint Rivers.

Long Term
(Friday Night through Tuesday) Issued at 423am EDT Wednesday Mar 29 2023

A strong low center will pass across the Great Lakes on Friday night and Saturday. The tail end of a trailing cold front will brush by the forecast area on Saturday and Saturday night. In advance of this front will be the best chance of rain in the next 7 days. A weak southern stream shortwave could add modestly to larger-scale lift early Saturday, plus mid- level cooling will steepen lapse rates. Increased westerly flow aloft will be enough to organize convection into clusters.

By Sunday, the surface front should have limped into the northern Gulf, and some subsidence in the wake of Saturdays shortwave will help suppress convection.

Moisture may try to deepen on Monday and Tuesday in response to low-level flow become southeasterly and southerly. However, 500 mb heigheights will be rising as a high over the Yucatan starts to extend a ridge toward the northeast Gulf. This will limit convective potential. The forecast continues with 15-30 percent rain chances along and north of I-10 on Monday and Tuesday afternoons, where inhibition from the building ridge will be weakest.

Marine
Issued at 423am EDT Wednesday Mar 29 2023

Buoys 42039 and 42036 have both observed a northerly wind shift behind a recent cold front, but residual southerly waves of 2 feet at 8 seconds persist. Seas well offshore will build today in response to freshening of the northerly breezes this morning.

From CWF synopsis...Strong north to northeast breezes are expected this morning following a cold frontal passage late Tuesday evening. High pressure will move off the U.S. Mid- Atlantic coast late tonight, reaching Bermuda on Friday. This will cause winds to clock around easterly late tonight, then southeasterly on Friday. The tail end of a cold front will cross the Lower Mississippi Valley on Saturday. A high pressure ridge will move east across the waters on Sunday.

Fire Weather
Issued at 423am EDT Wednesday Mar 29 2023

Drier conditions are expected today under filtered sunshine. No rain is in the forecast and northerly flow will prevail. Relative humidities will drop to around 35 to 40% this afternoon along with winds around 5 to 10 mph. With the wet conditions as of late for the region, and winds only around 10 mph, fire weather concerns will be low this afternoon.

Hydrology
Issued at 423am EDT Wednesday Mar 29 2023

Heavy rain on Tuesday in Walton County has caused creeks and rivers to quickly rise. Bruce Creek is the only one currently in minor flood. Given the flashy nature of rivers such as the Shoal, Bruce, and Alaqua, these rivers will soon turn over and quickly recede today.

Minor river flooding is expected along the Flint and Apalachicola Rivers, and the lower Chattahoochee will need to be monitored. Early this past Monday morning, 4-8 inches of rain fell over upper portions of the Flint and Chattahoochee basins in north and central Georgia. The runoff is now routing downriver. Minor flooding is likely for the Flint at Albany this weekend.

In advance of the main flood wave, preemptive releases from reservoirs such as Lake Blackshear and Lake Seminole have already boosted river levels within their banks. However, the main flood wave will come late this week. Releases from West Point/Columbus/Walter F George will ultimately determine downstream flood potential in the lower Chattahoochee and into the Apalachicola. At this time range - stay tuned, but the water is headed downhill into our region.

No other flooding is expected through this weekend. The next chance of thunderstorms will be on Saturday, with local runoff issues possible.

NOAA Tallahassee FL Office: Watches - Warnings - Advisories
FL...High Rip Current Risk through this afternoon for FLZ108-112-114- 115.

GA...None. AL...None. GM...Small Craft Advisory until noon EDT /11am CDT/ today for GMZ730- 750-752-755-765-770-772-775.