textproduct: Key West

KEY MESSAGES

- Dry conditions with above normal temperatures expected to continue through the rest of the week and into the weekend.

- East to southeasterly breezes will remain gentle to moderate today, slackening to light to gentle thereafter. - A moderate drought continues for the Lower and Middle Keys. Burn bans are possible, trees and bushes begin browning, and water supply decreases.

AVIATION

(18Z TAFS) Issued at 1210 PM EST Wed Feb 18 2026

VFR conditions will prevail at EYW and MTh for the upcoming TAF period. Winds will remain east to southeasterly near 10 knots. Cloud coverage will remain scattered with bases between FL020 and FL030.

MARINE

Issued at 430 AM EST Wed Feb 18 2026 There are currently no watches, warnings, or advisories in effect across the Florida Keys coastal waters. From synopsis, high pressure currently centered offshore of Georgia and South Carolina will continue to drift east across the Atlantic. This will promote gentle to moderate east to southeast breezes today. Thereafter, breezes will generally peak and lull through the early part of the weekend while this high slowly settles east of the Bahamas. Dry conditions will prevail through the week. A potentially strong cold front may sweep through the Keys starting Sunday evening with freshening northwest to north breezes.

PREV DISCUSSION

Issued at 430 AM EST Wed Feb 18 2026 Surface high pressure off the Georgia/South Carolina coast this morning will continue to slowly drift eastward into the western North Atlantic today. This high will then drift or meander as it settles over the Atlantic somewhere north of the Lesser Antilles. This will continue gentle to moderate east to southeast breezes throughout the Florida Keys this morning. Breezes will slacken this afternoon to light to gentle, becoming southeast tonight. Dry air will remain entrenched across the Keys resulting in nil to near nil rain chances for the remainder of the week and into the weekend. Upper level ridging will begin building over the Gulf and Florida today. This will lead to warming temperatures with highs in the lower 80s for the rest of the week and into the weekend. Some mid 80 degree readings also cannot be ruled out. The Keys are in for a taste of early summer the rest of the week and into the weekend. Dew points will also rise slowly over the coming days potentially reaching the lower 70s over the weekend. Overnight lows will also be quite mild in the lower 70s, potentially mid 70s in some locations. The caveat will be over the weekend when winds go light and variable. The high is expected to weaken across the area leaving the Keys in a col region between significant weather systems. This may lead to a period of radiational cooling over the weekend. We will also have to watch for some fog as we will be pumping up the dew points over the cool waters.

Then the next "bring it" cold front will usher in another blast of cooler weather. This will give Florida a taste of winter yet again. The front appears to be timing to Sunday afternoon or evening for passage. The result will be breezy to windy conditions developing, tumbling temperatures and humidity, and slight chances of rain.

CLIMATE

On this day in 1996, the daily record low temperature of 45F was recorded in Key West. Temperature records for Key West date back to 1872.

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

Key West 72 81 73 81 / 0 0 0 0 Marathon 72 82 72 83 / 0 0 0 0

KEY WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

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