Straits of Florida from Halfmoon Shoal to 20 NM west of Dry Tortugas out 20 NM Marine Forecast
| This Afternoon...East To Southeast Winds Near 10 Knots, Decreasing To 5 To 10 Knots. Seas 2 To 3 Feet, Subsiding To Around 2 Feet. Wave Detail: East 3 Feet At 5 Seconds. |
| Tonight...East Winds 5 To 10 Knots. Seas 1 To 2 Feet. Wave Detail: East 2 Feet At 4 Seconds. |
| Tuesday...Variable Winds Near 5 Knots, Becoming Northwest To North In The Afternoon. Seas Around 1 Foot. Wave Detail: East To Southeast 1 Foot At 4 Seconds. |
| Tuesday Night...Northwest To North Winds 5 To 10 Knots. Seas Around 1 Foot. |
| Wednesday...Northwest Winds 5 To 10 Knots. Seas Around 1 Foot. |
| Wednesday Night...Northwest Winds 5 To 10 Knots, Becoming South After Midnight. Seas Around 1 Foot. |
| Thursday...Southeast To South Winds Near 5 Knots. Seas Around 1 Foot. |
| Thursday Night...East To Southeast Winds 5 To 10 Knots. Seas 1 To 2 Feet. A Slight Chance Of Showers. |
| Friday...East To Southeast Winds 5 To 10 Knots. Seas 1 To 2 Feet. |
| Friday Night...East To Southeast Winds 5 To 10 Knots. Seas Around 1 Foot. A Slight Chance Of Showers And Thunderstorms. |
| Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Key West FL 119pm EDT Monday August 17 2026 Issued at 423am EDT Monday August 17 2026 Upon zooming out to the synoptic perspective, two features will define weather across the Keys for the first half of the week. The first one is the aforementioned SAL. The immediate effects of the SAL (Saharan Air Layer) are the mostly clear skies and lack of shower coverage across the Keys waters. Unfortunately, the absence of cloud cover means nothing will prevent the islands from heating rapidly during daytime hours. The second feature is that a col region is on track to set up over the Florida Keys. Lower pressure over the eastern US means a weaker subtropical ridge axis over the Gulf and Southern Florida, and thus light to gentle breezes across the Keys waters. Recent statistical model runs suggest periods of light and variable winds may be observed through Thursday or Friday at the latest. When will this pattern break? The Saharan Air Layer is expected to wash out during the middle of the week, but that does not mean showers will redevelop en masse. Environmental winds are still in a pattern that would direct deep layer moisture away from the Florida Keys. Model ensembles indicate lower pressure and mid level troughing will persist over the Eastern United States through the end of the week. For better or worse, there is medium to high confidence that hot and muggy conditions with light to gentle, occasionally variable, winds will persist through the week and into next weekend. Marine Issued at 1033am EDT Monday August 17 2026 Residual seas will gradually subside this afternoon. From synopsis, a nebulous flow pattern will support gentle east to southeasterly breezes becoming light and variable at times for the next several days. A Saharan Air Layer will keep shower and thunderstorm chances at near-nil through Tuesday night, with only a slight chance of rain and thunder expected for the latter half of the work week. NOAA Key West FL Office: Watches - Warnings - Advisories FL...None. GM...None. |
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