textproduct: Key West

KEY MESSAGES

- Rain-free and warm conditions are expected to continue through Saturday.

- Light to gentle southeasterly breezes will become variable at times through most of the weekend.

- Confidence continues to increase for a strong cold front to press through the Keys Sunday night, and will lead to cooler temperatures, a substantial drop in humidity, and a period of windy conditions. - A moderate drought continues for the Lower and Middle Keys. Burn bans are possible, trees and bushes begin browning, and water supply decreases.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 847 PM EST Fri Feb 20 2026 It has been a calm and warm evening along the Florida Keys as deep ridging has continued to linger across the area. The preliminary high temperatures today at Key West and Marathon International Airports were 81F and 79F respectively, signaling a warmer than average day. Current observations reflect some "cooling" has occurred after sunset as temperatures are in the mid 70s, and dew points are comfortably in the mid to upper 60s. Our KBYX radar has been free of any meteorological returns, though we have been able to spot some low level clouds over the Florida Straits just east of the Upper Keys. GOES-19 Cloud Top shows some high, scattered cloud cover approaching our area from the south, so we may lose our truly clear skies during the overnight hours. The lack of cloud cover can be attributed to the deep, substantial amount of dry air aloft. The PWAT on our 00Z KKEY sounding was calculated to be 0.85", just 0.02" above the 25th percentile for this day. Even the vertical wind profile didn't have much to show us as light and variable winds were observed through approximately 14k feet. With such a benign pattern in place, no changes are proposed to the current forecast package.

MARINE

Issued at 847 PM EST Fri Feb 20 2026 There are no watches, warnings, or advisories in effect for the Florida Keys local waters. From synopsis, a surface high pressure system centered in the central North Atlantic will meander in place for the next few days. The western periphery will stretch west through the Florida Peninsula and into the Gulf. This will maintain mainly gentle southeasterly breezes through Saturday morning. A period of light and variable breezes are possible late Saturday into early Sunday as the Keys remain in region of nebulous pressure gradient. Confidence continues to increase for a strong cold front to sweep through the Keys coastal waters beginning Sunday evening, with strong, potentially near gale, northwest to north breezes anticipated in its wake. Winds will slowly slacken and veer to the northeast, then eventually to the east to southeast Tuesday through Wednesday.

AVIATION

(00Z TAFS) Issued at 847 PM EST Fri Feb 20 2026 VFR and dry conditions will prevail at both island terminals through the TAF period. Southeasterly surface winds of 5 to 10 knots may become light and variable at times.

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

Key West 73 82 70 82 / 0 0 0 10 Marathon 73 82 70 82 / 0 0 0 10

KEY WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

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