Straits of Florida from Ocean Reef to Craig Key out 20 NM Marine Forecast
| Today...South To Southwest Winds Near 5 Knots, Becoming Southwest To West 5 To 10 Knots In The Afternoon. Seas Around 1 Foot. Wave Detail: East To Southeast 1 Foot At 4 Seconds. A Chance Of Showers And A Slight Chance Of Thunderstorms. |
| Tonight...West To Northwest Winds 5 To 10 Knots Early, Increasing To 10 To 15 Knots. Seas Around 1 Foot, Building To 1 To 2 Feet. Wave Detail: West To Northwest 1 Foot At 2 Seconds And East 1 Foot At 3 Seconds. A Chance Of Showers And A Slight Chance Of Thunderstorms. |
| Friday...Northwest To North Winds 10 To 15 Knots. Seas 1 To 2 Feet, Building To Around 2 Feet. Wave Detail: Northwest To North 1 Foot At 3 Seconds. A Chance Of Showers And A Slight Chance Of Thunderstorms. |
| Friday Night...Northwest To North Winds Near 15 Knots, Becoming North Near 20 Knots. Seas 2 To 3 Feet, Building To 3 To 6 Feet, Occasionally To 8 Feet. A Slight Chance Of Showers And A Slight Chance Of Thunderstorms. |
| Saturday...North To Northeast Winds Near 20 Knots, Decreasing To Near 15 Knots. Seas 4 To 7 Feet, Occasionally To 9 Feet. A Slight Chance Of Showers And A Slight Chance Of Thunderstorms. |
| Saturday Night...Northeast Winds 15 To 20 Knots. Seas 4 To 6 Feet, Occasionally To 8 Feet. A Slight Chance Of Showers And A Slight Chance Of Thunderstorms. |
| Sunday...Northeast To East Winds Near 15 Knots, Increasing To 15 To 20 Knots Late. Seas 4 To 5 Feet, Occasionally To 6 Feet. A Slight Chance Of Showers And A Slight Chance Of Thunderstorms. |
| Sunday Night...Northeast To East Winds 15 To 20 Knots, Increasing To Near 20 Knots. Seas 4 To 5 Feet, Occasionally To 6 Feet, Building To 5 To 7 Feet, Occasionally To 9 Feet. A Slight Chance Of Showers And Thunderstorms. |
| Monday...Northeast To East Winds 20 To 25 Knots. Seas 6 To 8 Feet, Occasionally To 10 Feet. A Chance Of Showers With A Slight Chance Of Thunderstorms. |
| Monday Night...Northeast To East Winds 20 To 25 Knots. Seas 7 To 9 Feet, Occasionally To 11 Feet. A Chance Of Showers With A Slight Chance Of Thunderstorms. |
| Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Key West FL 1120am EST Thu Nov 12 2026 .SHORT TERM... (This afternoon through Friday) Issued at 931am EST Thu Nov 12 2026 While the very early morning hours were generally quiet for our island communities, the combination of light winds and mostly clear skies over Big Pine Key allowed for some radiational cooling! Just before sunrise, the RAWS station on Big Pine reported a temperature of 69F. The rest of our observation sites reported lows in the mid 70s, and this shows how efficiently we can radiate when the conditions are right. Our KBYX radar has been busy detecting shower activity across the local waters, and an occasional thunderstorm has been spotted as well. Southerly flow across the waters to our south converged with westerly flow over the waters to our northwest, allowing for ample lift to get showers going. Even though our 12Z sounding from this morning showed a fair amount of moisture throughout the vertical column, we have not seen very many thunderstorms over the past few hours. Most of this activity has avoided our marine observation platforms, but we suspect that most of these showers are producing moderate to heavy downpours with occasionally gusty winds near 20 knots, or near 23 mph. Visible satellite shows a long swath of mid to high level cloud cover associated with a cold front/surface trough descending down the Gulf and Florida peninsula. While we should be able to see some patches of blue sky in between clouds, expect cloud cover to continue to increase. The leading edge of this trough will lose some of it's "oomph" as it gets closer to our area, so widespread showers and thunderstorms aren't necessarily a concern. However, pockets of heavier showers may cross the island chain at times as the day goes on. Late tonight and into tomorrow, we'll see drier conditions start to filter in as the conveyer of moisture if very narrow, but breezy conditions may settle in by tomorrow afternoon. The forecast is unfolding as expected, and no changes are needed with this morning update. Marine Issued at 931am EST Thu Nov 12 2026 There are no watches, warnings, or advisories in effect for the Florida Keys waters. From synopsis, troughing associated with a large and robust low pressure system will gradually build south across the Florida Keys today. This will result in a strengthening pressure gradient, allowing winds to slowly back to the west and northwest and freshen. Small Craft Exercise Caution headlines and hazards may be required as early as Friday afternoon and evening. Hazardous winds from this first front are not expected to last very long, but higher seas may take more time to subside. Even though winds will briefly slacken during the weekend, a reinforcing front Sunday night and Monday morning will bring hazardous marine conditions again, and we may see an extended period of strong winds and higher seas. NOAA Key West FL Office: Watches - Warnings - Advisories FL...None. GM...None. |
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