textproduct: Key West

KEY MESSAGES

- Heat will be the primary weather concern over the next seven days as indices will approach the upper 100s during the afternoons.

- A Saharan Air Layer will linger across the Keys this week, keeping rain and thunder chances slight at best.

- As we approach closer to the new moon, tide levels will rise but should remain below Coastal Flood Statement levels at this time. Persistent puddles in the typical low spots during high tide are likely saltwater.

AVIATION

(18Z TAFS) Issued at 142 PM EDT Mon Jul 13 2026 VFR conditions will prevail at both island terminals with only FEW to SCT clouds based between FL020 and 025. Saharan dust across the area will keep rain chances near zero, but VIS may fluctuate between 8 and 10 sm at the surface. East to southeast breezes will continue to prevail at near 10 knots.

PREV DISCUSSION

Issued at 441 AM EDT Mon Jul 13 2026 The forecast for the next several days will remain fairly benign. A rather large plume of Saharan dust has moved over the region and is expected to remain in place throughout the week and into next weekend. This will act to place a lid on any shower and thunderstorm activity for much of the week. However, there is a TUTT cell that will rotate northwestward as we head into the middle of the week. This TUTT cell may help to provide the lift needed to instigate some shower and thunderstorm activity, especially across western portions of the Florida Keys. Besides that, heat will be the main concern with highs in the lower 90s and overnight lows in the mid 80s which won't provide much relief from the daytime heat. Dew points will remain in the mid to upper 70s resulting in in heat index values of 105 to 108 degrees just under Heat Advisory criteria. Breezes will tend to peak overnight and lull during the daytime hours while remaining east to southeasterly.

MARINE

Issued at 1130 AM EDT Mon Jul 13 2026 There are no watches, warnings, or advisories in effect for the Florida Keys local waters as high pressure continues to prevail across the area. Gentle to modestly moderate breezes out of the east to southeast will peak during the overnight hours and lull during the afternoon. Rain and thunderstorm chances remain very low due to Saharan dust across the area, so only a slight chance exists for some of our western waters during the middle of the week.

CLIMATE

On this day in 2023, the daily record high temperature of 99F was recorded in Marathon. This is also tied for the warmest temperature ever recorded for the month of July, or any month, for the Marathon area. Temperature records for Marathon date back to 1951.

KEY WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

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