Coastal Waters Forecast
Issued by NWS Key West, FL
Issued by NWS Key West, FL
285 FZUS52 KKEY 140822 CWFKEY Coastal Waters Forecast for the Florida Keys National Weather Service Key West FL 422 AM EDT Fri Aug 14 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. GMZ005-142030- Synopsis for Keys coastal waters from Ocean Reef to Dry Tortugas 422 AM EDT Fri Aug 14 2026 .SYNOPSIS...High pressure in the central North Atlantic will strengthen and build westward for the next several days. With the associated ridge axis located north of the Florida Keys, this will support gentle to moderate east to southeast breezes for the marine zones through Sunday night. A weak frontal boundary will stall over the Florida Peninsula for early next week. This will disrupt the ridge`s influence on the Keys coastal waters. Breezes will respond, becoming light to gentle. The Approximate Shoreward Edge of the Gulf Stream as of August 13, 2026... 38 NM South of Dry Tortugas Light...on Loggerhead Key. 20 NM South of Cosgrove Shoal Light...off the Marquesas Keys. 17 NM South of Sand Key Light...off Key West. 21 NM South of Looe Key...off Big Pine Key. 18 NM Southeast of Sombrero Key Light...off Marathon. 7 NM Southeast of Alligator Reef Light...off Islamorada. 7 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. $$ GMZ031-142030- Florida Bay including Barnes Sound, Blackwater Sound, and Buttonwood Sound- 422 AM EDT Fri Aug 14 2026 .TODAY...East to southeast winds near 10 knots, increasing to 10 to 15 knots. Bay waters a light chop, becoming to a light to moderate chop. A chance of showers with a slight chance of thunderstorms. .TONIGHT...East to southeast winds near 15 knots. Bay waters a moderate chop. A chance of showers and thunderstorms. .SATURDAY...East to southeast winds near 15 knots, decreasing to 10 to 15 knots. Bay waters a moderate chop, becoming a light to moderate chop. A chance of showers and thunderstorms. .SATURDAY NIGHT...East to southeast winds near 15 knots. Bay waters a moderate chop. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. .SUNDAY...East to southeast winds 10 to 15 knots. Bay waters a light to moderate chop. .SUNDAY NIGHT...East to southeast winds 10 to 15 knots, becoming east and decreasing to near 10 knots. Bay waters a light to moderate chop, becoming a light chop. .MONDAY...East winds 5 to 10 knots, becoming southeast to south. Bay waters smooth to a light chop. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. .MONDAY NIGHT...Southeast to south winds near 5 knots, becoming northwest to north. Bay waters smooth. .TUESDAY...Northwest to north winds near 5 knots, becoming southwest. Bay waters smooth. A slight chance of showers. .TUESDAY NIGHT...West winds near 5 knots. Bay waters smooth. $$ GMZ032-035-142030- 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- 422 AM EDT Fri Aug 14 2026 .TODAY...East to southeast winds near 10 knots, increasing to 10 to 15 knots. Seas around 1 foot, building to 1 to 2 feet. Nearshore waters a light chop, becoming a light to moderate chop. A chance of showers with a slight chance of thunderstorms. .TONIGHT...East to southeast winds near 15 knots. Seas 1 to 2 feet, except around 2 feet west of the Marquesas Keys. Nearshore waters a moderate chop. A chance of showers and thunderstorms. .SATURDAY...East to southeast winds near 15 knots, decreasing to 10 to 15 knots. Seas 1 to 2 feet, except around 2 feet west of the Marquesas Keys. Nearshore waters a moderate chop, becoming a light to moderate chop. A chance of showers and thunderstorms. .SATURDAY NIGHT...East to southeast winds near 15 knots. Seas 1 to 2 feet, except 2 to 3 feet west of the Marquesas Keys. Nearshore waters a chop. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. .SUNDAY...East to southeast winds 10 to 15 knots. Seas 1 to 2 feet, except subsiding to around 2 feet west of the Marquesas Keys. Nearshore waters a light to moderate chop. .SUNDAY NIGHT...East to southeast winds 10 to 15 knots, becoming east and decreasing to near 10 knots. Seas 1 to 2 feet. Nearshore waters a light to moderate chop, becoming a light chop. .MONDAY...Northeast to east winds 5 to 10 knots, becoming variable near 5 knots. Seas around 1 foot. Nearshore waters smooth to a light chop, becoming smooth. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. .MONDAY NIGHT...Variable winds near 5 knots, becoming north. Seas 1 foot or less. Nearshore waters smooth. .TUESDAY...North winds near 5 knots Seas 1 foot or less. Nearshore waters smooth. .TUESDAY NIGHT...Northwest to north winds near 5 knots. Seas 1 foot or less. Nearshore waters smooth. A slight chance of showers. $$ GMZ042>044-142030- Hawk Channel from Ocean Reef to Craig Key out to the reef- Hawk Channel from Craig Key to west end of Seven Mile Bridge out to the reef- Hawk Channel from west end of Seven Mile Bridge to Halfmoon Shoal out to the reef- 422 AM EDT Fri Aug 14 2026 .TODAY...East to southeast winds near 10 knots, increasing to 10 to 15 knots. Seas 1 to 2 feet, building to around 2 feet. Nearshore waters a light chop, becoming a light to moderate chop. A chance of showers with a slight chance of thunderstorms. .TONIGHT...East to southeast winds near 15 knots. Seas 2 to 3 feet. Nearshore waters a moderate chop. A chance of showers and thunderstorms. .SATURDAY...East to southeast winds near 15 knots, decreasing to 10 to 15 knots. Seas 2 to 3 feet, subsiding to around 2 feet. Nearshore waters a moderate chop, becoming a light to moderate chop. A chance of showers and thunderstorms. .SATURDAY NIGHT...East to southeast winds near 15 knots. Seas 2 to 3 feet. Nearshore waters a moderate chop. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. .SUNDAY...East to southeast winds 10 to 15 knots. Seas 2 to 3 feet. Nearshore waters a light to moderate chop. .SUNDAY NIGHT...East winds 10 to 15 knots, decreasing to near 10 knots. Seas around 2 feet. Nearshore waters a light to moderate chop. .MONDAY...Northeast to east winds 5 to 10 knots, becoming variable near 5 knots. Seas around 2 feet, subsiding to 1 to 2 feet. Nearshore waters smooth to a light chop. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. .MONDAY NIGHT..Variable winds near 5 knots. Seas around 1 foot. Nearshore waters smooth. .TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT...Variable winds near 5 knots. Seas 1 foot or less. Nearshore waters smooth. $$ GMZ052>055-072>075-142030- 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- 422 AM EDT Fri Aug 14 2026 .TODAY...East winds 10 to 15 knots, increasing to near 15 knots. Seas around 2 feet, building to 2 to 3 feet. Wave Detail: East 2 feet at 4 seconds. A chance of showers with a slight chance of thunderstorms. .TONIGHT...East to southeast winds near 15 knots. Seas 3 to 4 feet, occasionally to 5 feet. Wave Detail: East 3 feet at 4 seconds. A chance of showers and thunderstorms. .SATURDAY...East to southeast winds near 15 knots decreasing to 10 to 15 knots. Seas 2 to 4 feet, occasionally to 5 feet. Wave Detail: East to southeast 3 feet at 5 seconds. A chance of showers and thunderstorms. .SATURDAY NIGHT...East to southeast winds 15 to 20 knots. Seas 3 to 4 feet, occasionally to 5 feet. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. .SUNDAY...East to southeast winds near 15 knots, decreasing to 10 to 15 knots. Seas 2 to 4 feet, occasionally to 5 feet. .SUNDAY NIGHT...East winds 10 to 15 knots. Seas 2 to 3 feet. .MONDAY...East winds near 10 knots, decreasing to 5 to 10 knots. Seas 2 to 3 feet, subsiding to around 2 feet. .MONDAY NIGHT...East winds 5 to 10 knots, becoming variable. Seas 1 to 2 feet. .TUESDAY...Variable winds near 5 knots. Seas around 1 foot. .TUESDAY NIGHT...Variable winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas 1 to 2 feet. $$ GMZ033-034-142030- Gulf of America from East Cape Sable to Chokoloskee 20 to 60 NM out and beyond 5 fathoms- Gulf of America including Dry Tortugas and Rebecca Shoal Channel- 422 AM EDT Fri Aug 14 2026 .TODAY...East winds near 10 knots, becoming northeast to east. Seas 1 to 2 feet. Wave Detail: East to southeast 1 foot at 3 seconds. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. .TONIGHT...East winds 10 to 15 knots, becoming east to southeast. Seas 1 to 2 feet, building to 2 to 3 feet. Wave Detail: East 2 feet at 3 seconds. A chance of showers and thunderstorms. .SATURDAY...East to southeast winds 10 to 15 knots, decreasing to near 10 knots. Seas 2 to 3 feet, subsiding to 1 to 2 feet. Wave Detail: East to southeast 2 feet at 4 seconds. A chance of showers and thunderstorms. .SATURDAY NIGHT...East to southeast winds 10 to 15 knots, increasing to near 15 knots. Seas around 2 feet, building to 2 to 3 feet. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. .SUNDAY...East winds 10 to 15 knots, decreasing to near 10 knots. Seas 2 to 3 feet, subsiding to 1 to 3 feet. .SUNDAY NIGHT...East winds near 10 knots. Seas 1 to 2 feet. .MONDAY...Northeast to east winds 5 to 10 knots, becoming variable near 5 knots. Seas 1 to 2 feet. .MONDAY NIGHT...North winds near 5 knots. Seas around 1 foot. A slight chance of showers. .TUESDAY...North winds near 5 knots. Seas 1 foot or less. .TUESDAY NIGHT...Northwest to north winds near 5 knots. Seas 1 foot or less. A slight chance of showers. $$ BT