Coastal Waters Forecast
Issued by NWS Key West, FL

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535
FZUS52 KKEY 230319
CWFKEY

Coastal Waters Forecast for the Florida Keys
National Weather Service Key West FL
1019 PM EST Sat Feb 22 2025

Florida Bay, Hawk Channel and Straits of Florida from Ocean Reef
to south of Dry Tortugas, and the extreme southeastern Gulf of
Mexico, including The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

Seas are given as significant wave height, which is the average
height of the highest 1/3 of the waves. Individual waves may be
more than twice the significant wave height.

Wave Detail will include details about the period and direction
of origin for the highest energy waves. Long-period swells coming
from a different direction than the wind would be included in the
Wave Detail.

GMZ005-230930-
Synopsis for Keys coastal waters from Ocean Reef to Dry Tortugas
1019 PM EST Sat Feb 22 2025

.SYNOPSIS...Expansive high pressure will weaken as it is shifts
eastward away from the eastern coastline of the U.S. As the high
moves offshore into the western North Atlantic, another weaker
high will take its place across the Southeastern United States
resulting in slackening breezes over the course of tonight and
Sunday. An area of weak low pressure is expected to develop over
the northwestern Gulf Sunday and Sunday night. As the low moves
east, the potential exists for varying breezes, especially Monday
with northwest to north breezes anticipated Monday night through
Tuesday night.

The Approximate Shoreward Edge of the Gulf Stream as of February
19...

22 NM South of Dry Tortugas Light...on Loggerhead Key.
 6 NM South of Cosgrove Shoal Light...off the Marquesas Keys.
 2 NM South of Sand Key Light...off Key West.
 6 NM South of Looe Key...off Big Pine Key.
 7 NM South of Sombrero Key Light...off Marathon.
 7 NM Southeast of Alligator Reef Light...off Islamorada.
 3 NM Southeast of Molasses Reef Light...off Key Largo.
 1 NM East of Carysfort Reef Light...off Ocean Reef.

Gulf Stream Information Courtesy of the National Weather Service in Key
West based on products from the Real Time Ocean Forecast System and
NASA SPoRT.

$$

GMZ031-230930-
Florida Bay including Barnes Sound, Blackwater Sound, and
Buttonwood Sound-
1019 PM EST Sat Feb 22 2025

.OVERNIGHT...Northeast to east winds near 10 knots. Bay waters a
a light chop.
.SUNDAY...Northeast to east winds near 10 knots. Bay waters a
a light chop.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...East to southeast winds 10 to 15 knots. Bay
waters a light to moderate chop. Isolated showers after midnight.
.MONDAY...Southeast to south winds 10 to 15 knots, becoming south
to southwest. Bay waters a light to moderate chop. Isolated
showers and thunderstorms in the morning, then widespread showers
and isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Southwest to west winds near 15 knots, decreasing
to 10 to 15 knots. Bay waters a moderate chop, becoming a light
to moderate chop. Numerous showers and isolated thunderstorms.
.TUESDAY...West to northwest winds near 10 knots. Bay waters a
light chop. Isolated showers.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...Northwest to north winds near 10 knots, becoming
north to northeast. Bay waters a light chop.
.WEDNESDAY...Northeast to east winds near 10 knots, becoming east.
Bay waters a light chop.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...East to southeast winds 5 to 10 knots. Bay
waters smooth to a light chop.
.THURSDAY...Southeast to south winds 5 to 10 knots, becoming
south to southwest. Bay waters smooth to a light chop, becoming
smooth. Isolated showers.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Southwest to west winds near 10 knots, becoming
west to northwest and increasing to 10 to 15 knots. Bay waters a
light chop, becoming a light to moderate chop. Isolated showers.

$$

GMZ032-035-230930-
Bayside and Gulf side from Craig Key to west end of Seven Mile
Bridge-
Gulf of Mexico from west end of Seven Mile Bridge to Halfmoon
Shoal out to 5 Fathoms-
1019 PM EST Sat Feb 22 2025

.OVERNIGHT...Northeast to east winds 10 to 15 knots early,
decreasing to near 10 knots. Seas 2 to 3 feet, except 3 to 4 feet
west of the Marquesas Keys, subsiding to around 2 feet. Nearshore
waters a light to moderate chop, becoming a light chop. Isolated
showers.
.SUNDAY...Northeast to east winds near 10 knots. Seas around 2
feet, subsiding to 1 to 2 feet. Nearshore waters a light chop.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...East to southeast winds 10 to 15 knots, becoming
southeast to south. Seas 1 to 2 feet. Nearshore waters a light to
moderate chop. Isolated showers after midnight.
.MONDAY...Southeast to south winds near 15 knots, becoming south
to southwest. Seas 1 to 2 feet. Nearshore waters a moderate chop.
Isolated showers and thunderstorms in the morning, then
widespread showers and isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Southwest to west winds 10 to 15 knots, becoming
west to northwest. Seas 1 to 2 feet. Nearshore waters a light to
moderate chop. Numerous showers and isolated thunderstorms.
.TUESDAY...West to northwest winds near 10 knots, becoming
northwest to north and increasing to 10 to 15 knots in the
afternoon. Seas 1 to 2 feet. Nearshore waters a light chop,
becoming a light to moderate chop. Isolated showers.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...North winds 10 to 15 knots, becoming north to
northeast. Seas 1 to 2 feet, except around 3 feet west of the
Marquesas Keys. Nearshore waters a light to moderate chop.
.WEDNESDAY...Northeast to east winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas 1 to
2 feet. Nearshore waters smooth to a light chop.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...East winds near 10 knots, decreasing to 5 to
10 knots. Seas around 1 foot. Nearshore waters smooth to a light
chop.
.THURSDAY...East to southeast winds near 5 knots, becoming west
to northwest and increasing to 5 to 10 knots. Seas around 1 foot.
Nearshore waters smooth, becoming smooth to a light chop.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Northwest winds 10 to 15 knots. Seas 1 to
2 feet, building to 2 to 3 feet. Nearshore waters a light to
moderate chop. Isolated showers.

$$

GMZ042>044-230930-
Hawk Channel from Ocean Reef to Craig Key out to the reef-
Hawk Channel from Craig Key to west end of Seven Mile Bridge out
to the reef-
Hawk Channel from west end of Seven Mile Bridge to Halfmoon Shoal
out to the reef-
1019 PM EST Sat Feb 22 2025

.OVERNIGHT...Northeast to east winds 10 to 15 knots early,
decreasing to near 10 knots. Seas 2 to 4 feet, occasionally to 5
feet. Nearshore waters a light to moderate chop, becoming a light
chop. Isolated showers.
.SUNDAY...Northeast to east winds near 10 knots, becoming east to
southeast 10 to 15 knots. Seas 2 to 4 feet, subsiding to 1 to 3
feet. Nearshore waters a light chop, becoming a light to moderate
chop.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...East to southeast winds near 15 knots, becoming
southeast to south. Seas 2 to 3 feet. Nearshore waters a moderate
chop. Isolated showers after midnight.
.MONDAY...Southeast to south winds near 15 knots, becoming south
to southwest. Seas 2 to 3 feet. Nearshore waters a moderate chop.
Isolated showers and thunderstorms in the morning, then widespread
showers and isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Southwest to west winds 10 to 15 knots, becoming
west to northwest. Seas 1 to 3 feet, except 2 to 3 feet west of
Cosgrove Shoal Light. Nearshore waters a light to moderate chop.
Numerous showers and isolated thunderstorms.
.TUESDAY...West to northwest winds near 10 knots, becoming
northwest to north and increasing to 10 to 15 knots in the
afternoon. Seas 1 to 3 feet. Nearshore waters a light chop,
becoming a light to moderate chop. Isolated showers.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...North to northeast winds 10 to 15 knots. Seas 1
to 3 feet. Nearshore waters a light to moderate chop.
.WEDNESDAY...Northeast to east winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas 1 to 2
feet. Nearshore waters smooth to a light chop.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...East winds 5 to 10 knots, becoming variable.
Seas 1 to 2 feet. Nearshore waters smooth to a light chop.
.THURSDAY...Variable winds 5 to 10 knots, becoming west to
northwest and increasing to near 10 knots. Seas around 1 foot.
Nearshore waters smooth to a light chop, becoming a light chop.
Isolated showers.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Northwest winds increasing to 10 to 15 knots.
Seas building to 1 to 3 feet. Nearshore waters a light to
moderate chop. Isolated showers.

$$

GMZ052>055-072>075-230930-
Straits of Florida from Ocean Reef to Craig Key out 20 NM-
Straits of Florida from Craig Key to west end of Seven Mile
Bridge out 20 NM-
Straits of Florida from west end of Seven Mile Bridge to south of
Halfmoon Shoal out 20 NM-
Straits of Florida from Halfmoon Shoal to 20 NM west of Dry
Tortugas out 20 NM-
Straits of Florida from Ocean Reef to Craig Key 20 to 60 NM out-
Straits of Florida from Craig Key to west end of Seven Mile
Bridge 20 to 60 NM out-
Straits of Florida from west end of Seven Mile Bridge to south of
Halfmoon Shoal 20 to 60 NM out-
Straits of Florida from Halfmoon Shoal to 20 NM west of Dry
Tortugas 20 to 60 NM out-
1019 PM EST Sat Feb 22 2025

...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT...

.OVERNIGHT...Northeast to east winds 15 to 20 knots early,
decreasing to 10 to 15 knots. Seas 5 to 7 feet, occasionally to 9
feet, subsiding to 3 to 5 feet, occasionally to 6 feet. Wave
Detail:
Northeast to east 6 feet at 7 seconds, becoming northeast to east
5 feet at 6 seconds. Isolated showers.
.SUNDAY...Northeast to east winds 10 to 15 knots. Seas subsiding
to 2 to 4 feet, occasionally to 5 feet. Wave Detail: Northeast to
east 3 feet at 6 seconds. Isolated showers.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...East to southeast winds near 15 knots. Seas 2 to
4 feet, occasionally to 5 feet. Wave Detail: East 3 feet at
5 seconds. Isolated showers.
.MONDAY...Southeast to south winds near 15 knots, becoming south
to southwest. Seas 2 to 4 feet, occasionally to 5 feet. Isolated
showers and thunderstorms in the morning, then numerous showers
and isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Southwest to west winds 10 to 15 knots. Seas 2 to
3 feet. Numerous showers and isolated thunderstorms.
.TUESDAY...West to northwest winds near 10 knots, becoming
northwest and increasing to 10 to 15 knots. Seas 2 to 3 feet.
Isolated showers.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...Northwest to north winds 10 to 15 knots,
becoming north to northeast and decreasing to near 10 knots. Seas
2 to 3 feet.
.WEDNESDAY...Northeast to east winds near 10 knots. Seas 2 to 3
feet.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...East winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas around 2 feet.
Isolated showers.
.THURSDAY...East to southeast winds 5 to 10 knots, becoming
variable. Seas 1 to 2 feet. Isolated showers.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Variable winds 5 to 10 knots, becoming northwest
and increasing to 10 to 15 knots. Seas 1 to 2 feet, building to 2
to 3 feet. Isolated showers.

$$

GMZ033-034-230930-
Gulf waters from East Cape Sable to Chokoloskee 20 to 60 NM out
and beyond 5 fathoms-
Gulf of Mexico including Dry Tortugas and Rebecca Shoal Channel-
1019 PM EST Sat Feb 22 2025

.OVERNIGHT...Northeast to east winds 10 to 15 knots early,
decreasing to near 10 knots. Seas 2 to 4 feet, occasionally to 5
feet, subsiding to 1 to 3 feet. Wave Detail: North to northeast 3
feet at 6 seconds. Isolated showers.
.SUNDAY...Northeast to east winds near 10 knots, becoming east to
southeast 10 to 15 knots. Seas 2 to 3 feet. Wave Detail: North to
northeast 2 feet at 4 seconds.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...Southeast winds 10 to 15 knots, becoming southeast
to south. Seas 2 to 3 feet. Wave Detail: Southeast 3 feet at 4
seconds. Isolated showers in the evening, then scattered showers
after midnight.
.MONDAY...South winds near 15 knots, becoming south to southwest.
Seas 2 to 3 feet. Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms in
the morning, then widespread showers and isolated thunderstorms in
the afternoon.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Southwest to west winds 10 to 15 knots, becoming
west to northwest. Seas 2 to 3 feet. Scattered showers and
isolated thunderstorms.
.TUESDAY...Northwest to north winds 10 to 15 knots. Seas 2 to
3 feet. Isolated showers.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...North to northeast winds 10 to 15 knots,
decreasing to near 10 knots. Seas 2 to 4 feet, occasionally to 5
feet.
.WEDNESDAY...Northeast winds near 10 knots. Seas 2 to 3 feet.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...Variable winds near 5 knots. Seas 1 to 2 feet.
.THURSDAY...Variable winds 5 to 10 knots, becoming northwest.
Seas 1 to 2 feet. Isolated showers.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Northwest winds 10 to 15 knots. Seas 2 to
3 feet. Isolated showers.

$$