textproduct: Key West

KEY MESSAGES

- Gentle to moderate northeast to east breezes will prevail over the next couple days, and will tend to peak overnight before lulling during the day. - Little to no measurable rain will maintain continued moderate drought conditions in the Florida Keys through the weekend, and into the beginning of next week.

- Temperatures will remain near to slightly above normal, with highs in the lower to mid 80s, and lows in the lower to mid 70s.

- A frontal boundary will move through the Keys sometime Sunday, potentially bringing another period of windy conditions, lower humidity, and increasing rain chances.

AVIATION

(18Z TAFS) Issued at 120 PM EDT Fri Apr 17 2026 EYW will continue to see a mix of VFR and MVFR CIGs due to lingering cloud cover, but VFR CIGs should prevail at MTH through the first half of the TAF period. An increase in moisture across the area will lead to a better chance of prevailing MVFR CIGs overnight, and a slight chance of very light showers. Otherwise, no significant weather impacts are expected. Northeast to east surface winds of 5 to 10 knots will occasionally gust to near 15 knots.

MARINE

Issued at 1036 AM EDT Fri Apr 17 2026 There are no watches, warnings, or advisories in effect for the Florida Keys local waters. High pressure over the area will encourage gentle to modestly moderate breezes with the highest breezes across Hawk Channel and the Florida Straits. A stray light shower or two may pop up over the Straits. Otherwise, dry conditions will continue through the weekend. The next opportunity for hazardous conditions will be late Monday afternoon or evening as breezes will freshen due to a frontal boundary.

PREV DISCUSSION

Issued at 352 AM EDT Fri Apr 17 2026 Expect mostly sunny skies with day time highs reaching once again into the lower to mid 80s. Otherwise, another moisture plume will pivot in tonight with additional slight chances for showers and another round of peaking winds.

As we go into the weekend, we see one more cycle of winds peaking and lulling on Saturday. By Sunday, a high out across the western North Atlantic will ease further east in response to an approaching frontal boundary. This will cause winds to slacken and it's possible we could briefly see variable winds as the pressure gradient becomes nebulous. The next front will slowly bleed in from the north and northeast Sunday night into Monday and won't come with much fanfare.

The strong high filling in behind it Monday, however, will usher in a blast of northeasterlies across the island chain. Expect winds to sharply increase during the late afternoon and evening hours on Monday with windy conditions quickly developing. As the high moves across the southeastern tier of the U.S. and across the southwestern North Atlantic, we will maintain windy conditions Tuesday into Wednesday morning.

As the high slides further to our east, winds will relax and potentially better moisture will return. There is high uncertainty however, as models disagree on where the moisture axis will lie. The GFS favors an axis placement near or across the Keys, while the ECMWF has it well to our south with a continuation of dry conditions.

MARINE

Issued at 1036 AM EDT Fri Apr 17 2026 There are no watches, warnings, or advisories in effect for the Florida Keys local waters. High pressure over the area will encourage gentle to modestly moderate breezes with the highest breezes across Hawk Channel and the Florida Straits. A stray light shower or two may pop up over the Straits. Otherwise, dry conditions will continue through the weekend. The next opportunity for hazardous conditions will be late Monday afternoon or evening as breezes will freshen due to a frontal boundary.

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

Key West 74 85 74 85 / 10 10 10 10 Marathon 75 83 76 84 / 10 10 10 10

KEY WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

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