931
FZUS52 KKEY 161428
CWFKEY

Coastal Waters Forecast for the Florida Keys
National Weather Service Key West FL
1028 AM EDT Thu Jul 16 2026

Florida Bay, Hawk Channel and Straits of Florida from Ocean Reef
to south of Dry Tortugas, and the extreme southeastern Gulf of
America, 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.

The Wave Detail section highlights the period and direction of
origin for the highest-energy waves, as well as any long-period
swells moving in a different direction than the wind.

GMZ005-170230-
Synopsis for Keys coastal waters from Ocean Reef to Dry Tortugas
1028 AM EDT Thu Jul 16 2026

.SYNOPSIS...
High pressure currently building over the eastern Gulf will
continue to encourage generally gentle northeast to east breezes,
occasionally becoming east to southeast. However, breezes will
still tend to peak in the evening and overnight hours, before
modestly lulling in the late morning and afternoon periods. A
large area of Saharan dust will remain in place across the Florida
Keys marine zones for the next several days, acting to limit rain
and thunder chances.

The Approximate Shoreward Edge of the Gulf Stream as of
July 12...

63 NM South of Dry Tortugas Light...on Loggerhead Key.
38 NM South of Cosgrove Shoal Light...off the Marquesas Keys.
21 NM South of Sand Key Light...off Key West.
13 NM South of Looe Key...off Big Pine Key.
12 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.
 2 NM Southeast of Carysfort Reef Light...off Ocean Reef.

Gulf Stream Information Courtesy of the National Weather Service in
Key West, using data from RTOFS and NASA SPoRT SST.

$$

GMZ031-170230-
Florida Bay including Barnes Sound, Blackwater Sound, and
Buttonwood Sound-
1028 AM EDT Thu Jul 16 2026

.THIS AFTERNOON...Northeast to east winds near 5 knots, becoming
east to southeast this afternoon. Bay waters smooth. A slight
chance of showers and thunderstorms.
.TONIGHT...Southeast to south winds near 5 knots. Bay waters
smooth. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms.
.FRIDAY...South winds near 5 knots. Bay waters smooth. A slight
chance of showers and thunderstorms.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...South winds near 5 knots, becoming southeast to
south. Bay waters smooth. A slight chance of showers and
thunderstorms.
.SATURDAY...Southeast to south winds 5 to 10 knots. Bay waters
smooth to a light chop. A slight chance of showers and
thunderstorms.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...South winds 5 to 10 knots, becoming southeast to
south and increasing to near 10 knots. Bay waters smooth to a
light chop, becoming a light chop. A slight chance of showers and
thunderstorms.
.SUNDAY...South winds 10 to 15 knots, becoming south to southwest
and decreasing to near 10 knots. Bay waters a light to moderate
chop, becoming a light chop. A slight chance of showers and
thunderstorms.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...South to southwest winds 5 to 10 knots. Bay
waters smooth to a light chop. A slight chance of showers.
.MONDAY...South to southwest winds 10 to 15 knots. Bay waters a
light to moderate chop. A slight chance of showers and
thunderstorms.
.MONDAY NIGHT...South to southwest winds 5 to 10 knots. Bay
waters smooth to a light chop. A slight chance of showers.

$$

GMZ032-035-170230-
Bayside and Gulfside from Craig Key to west end of Seven Mile
Bridge-
Gulf of America from west end of Seven Mile Bridge to Halfmoon
Shoal out to 5 Fathoms-
1028 AM EDT Thu Jul 16 2026

.THIS AFTERNOON...Northeast to east winds 5 to 10 knots,
decreasing to near 5 knots. Seas 1 foot or less, except around 1
foot west of the Marquesas Keys. Nearshore waters smooth to a
light chop, becoming smooth. A slight chance of showers and
thunderstorms.
.TONIGHT...Northeast to east winds near 5 knots. Seas 1 foot or
less. Nearshore waters smooth. A slight chance of showers and
thunderstorms.
.FRIDAY...Variable winds near 5 knots. Seas 1 foot or less.
Nearshore waters smooth. A slight chance of showers and
thunderstorms.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Variable winds near 5 knots, becoming east to
southeast after midnight. Seas 1 foot or less. Nearshore waters
smooth. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms.
.SATURDAY...Southeast to south winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas around 1
foot. Nearshore waters smooth to a light chop. A slight chance of
showers and thunderstorms.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Southeast to south winds near 5 knots,
increasing to near 10 knots after midnight. Seas around 1 foot.
Nearshore waters smooth, becoming a light chop. A slight chance of
showers and thunderstorms.
.SUNDAY...South to southwest winds near 10 knots, becoming
southwest and decreasing to 5 to 10 knots. Seas around 1 foot.
Nearshore waters a light chop, becoming smooth to a light chop. A
slight chance of showers and thunderstorms.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...Southwest winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas 1 foot or
less. Nearshore waters smooth to a light chop. A slight chance of
showers and thunderstorms.
.MONDAY...Southwest winds near 10 knots. Seas around 1 foot.
Nearshore waters a light chop. A slight chance of showers and
thunderstorms.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Southwest winds 5 to 10 knots, becoming south
after midnight. Seas 1 foot or less. Nearshore waters smooth to a
light chop. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms.

$$

GMZ042>044-170230-
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-
1028 AM EDT Thu Jul 16 2026

.THIS AFTERNOON...Northeast to east winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas 1
to 2 feet. Nearshore waters smooth to a light chop. A slight
chance of showers and thunderstorms.
.TONIGHT...East to southeast winds near 5 knots. Seas around 1
foot. Nearshore waters smooth. A slight chance of showers and
thunderstorms.
.FRIDAY...Variable winds near 5 knots. Seas around 1 foot.
Nearshore waters smooth. A slight chance of showers and
thunderstorms.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Variable winds near 5 knots, becoming east to
southeast and increasing to 5 to 10 knots. Seas around 1 foot.
Nearshore waters smooth, becoming smooth to a light chop. A slight
chance of showers and thunderstorms.
.SATURDAY...Southeast to south winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas around 1
foot. Nearshore waters smooth to a light chop. A slight chance of
showers and thunderstorms.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Southeast to south winds 5 to 10 knots,
increasing to 10 to 15 knots. Seas 1 to 2 feet. Nearshore waters
smooth to a light chop, becoming a light to moderate chop. A
slight chance of showers and thunderstorms.
.SUNDAY...Southeast to south winds 10 to 15 knots, becoming south
to southwest and decreasing to 5 to 10 knots. Seas 1 to 2 feet.
Nearshore waters a light to moderate chop, becoming smooth to a
light chop. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...South to southwest winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas
around 1 foot. Nearshore waters smooth to a light chop.
.MONDAY...South to southwest winds 5 to 10 knots, increasing to
southwest 10 to 15 knots in the afternoon. Seas 1 to 2 feet.
Nearshore waters smooth to a light chop, becoming a light to
moderate chop. A slight chance of showers.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Southwest winds 5 to 10 knots, becoming south
after midnight. Seas around 1 foot. Nearshore waters smooth to a
light chop. A slight chance of showers.

$$

GMZ052>055-072>075-170230-
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-
1028 AM EDT Thu Jul 16 2026

.THIS AFTERNOON...East winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas 1 to 2 feet.
Wave Detail: East 2 feet at 4 seconds. A slight chance of showers
and thunderstorms.
.TONIGHT...East to southeast winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas 1 to 2 feet.
Wave Detail: East to southeast 1 foot at 4 seconds. A slight
chance of showers and thunderstorms.
.FRIDAY...East to southeast winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas 1 to 2 feet.
Wave Detail: East to southeast 1 foot at 4 seconds.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...East to southeast winds 5 to 10 knots, increasing
to near 10 knots. Seas 1 to 2 feet. A slight chance of showers
and thunderstorms.
.SATURDAY...Southeast winds near 10 knots, decreasing to 5 to 10
knots. Seas 1 to 2 feet. A slight chance of showers and
thunderstorms.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Southeast winds 5 to 10 knots, becoming southeast
to south and increasing to 10 to 15 knots after midnight. Seas 1
to 2 feet, building to around 2 feet. A slight chance of showers
and thunderstorms.
.SUNDAY...Southeast to south winds 10 to 15 knots, decreasing to
5 to 10 knots. Seas around 2 feet, subsiding to 1 to 2 feet. A
slight chance of showers and thunderstorms.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...Southeast to south winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas
around 1 foot. A slight chance of showers.
.MONDAY...South to southwest winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas around
1 foot.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Southeast to south winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas
around 1 foot.

$$

GMZ033-034-170230-
Gulf of America from East Cape Sable to Chokoloskee 20 to 60 NM
out and beyond 5 fathoms-
Gulf of America including Dry Tortugas and Rebecca Shoal Channel-
1028 AM EDT Thu Jul 16 2026

.THIS AFTERNOON...Northeast winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas 1 to 2
feet. Wave Detail: Northeast to east 1 foot at 3 seconds. A slight
chance of showers and thunderstorms.
.TONIGHT...North to northeast winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas around
1 foot. Wave Detail: Northwest to north 1 foot at 3 seconds. A
slight chance of showers and thunderstorms.
.FRIDAY...North winds near 5 knots. Seas around 1 foot. A slight
chance of showers and thunderstorms.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...North winds near 5 knots, becoming variable after
midnight. Seas around 1 foot. A chance of showers with a slight
chance of thunderstorms.
.SATURDAY...Variable winds near 5 knots. Seas around 1 foot. A
slight chance of showers and thunderstorms.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Southwest winds near 5 knots, becoming south
after midnight. Seas around 1 foot. A slight chance of showers
and thunderstorms.
.SUNDAY...Southwest winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas 1 to 2 feet. A
slight chance of showers and thunderstorms.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...Southwest to west winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas 1 to
2 feet. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms.
.MONDAY...Southwest to west winds near 10 knots. Seas 1 to
2 feet. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Southwest to west winds 5 to 10 knots, becoming
south to southwest after midnight. Seas 1 to 2 feet. A slight
chance of showers and thunderstorms.

$$