textproduct: Key West

KEY MESSAGES

- Light to gentle breezes expected through the remainder of the weekend.

- Mainly dry conditions along with near-normal temperatures expected through early next week.

- Despite recent rainfall this week, moderate drought conditions persist for the entire island chain. These conditions may worsen over the next several days.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 933 PM EDT Sat Mar 21 2026

A surface high blanketing the Gulf, stretches across Florida Peninsula into the adjacent Atlantic. The stronger winds of the past week have finally relented and are now light to gentle and broadly out of the north. This flow is maintaining relatively cool conditions along the Keys this evening. Temperatures are near 70 with most locations reading dew points near 60. Broad and strong deep layered ridging aloft blankets Mexico and the Gulf. This evenings sounding showed considerable dry air above a thick isothermal layer based around 850 mb. These features, along with a fairly dry boundary layer, has prevented any shower activity through the evening across the region.

Through the overnight period, the surface high will slide further east southeast and will straddle South Florida. The bulk of the ridge will remain centered near the Florida Gulf coast. This along with the likely formation of a weak mainland land breeze will keep breezes backed norther across the Keys through the remainder of the night. Consequently, expect overnight lows to range in the mid to upper 60s with a few spots possibly seeing some decoupling and radiational cooling. In addition, dew points will remain near 60, so decoupled locations have some room to move down. Dry and stable conditions will persist due to dominating deep layered ridging. Rain chances will remain nil.

MARINE

Issued at 933 PM EDT Sat Mar 21 2026

High pressure centered over the eastern Gulf of Mexico will maintain gentle northerly breezes on Keys waters through the overnight period. Winds will tend more veered and slightly stronger over the Florida straits, while remaining backed northwest to north on our gulf and bay side waters. Only minor adjustments made in the evening marine update.

AVIATION

(00Z TAFS) Issued at 933 PM EDT Sat Mar 21 2026

VFR conditions will prevail at the island terminals through the overnight period. Surface winds will be light to gentle out of the north.

KEY WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

FL...None. GM...None.