textproduct: Miami - South Florida

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 316 AM EDT Tue Apr 21 2026 - A cold front will move further south of the area today and allow for strong high pressure to establish across the region, bringing periods of breezy and gusty winds today.

- Hazardous marine conditions continue today in the wake of the front.

- Relative humidity values will drop into the 35-40% range this afternoon mainly over interior and western areas of South Florida.

SHORT TERM

(Today through Wednesday) Issued at 316 AM EDT Tue Apr 21 2026

Models and sfc analyses show a synoptic scenario dominated by an expanding high pressure across the SE CONUS and Florida in the wake of a FROPA. The ridge axis will remain north of SoFlo, while the frontal boundary continues to push further south into Cuba and the central Gulf waters today. This will bring a drier air mass across the area, with pressure gradients tightening up between the front to the south and the high pressure to the north. Therefore, expect generally NE winds to gradually increase today with potential for gusts into the 25-30 mph range. Coastal locations right along the Atlantic coastline may experience even higher gusts at times. These conditions will also result in several marine hazards affecting the beaches and the Atlantic coastal waters. For more details, please refer to the Marine section below.

A few showers may still develop over the southern-most portions of the CWA, then rain activity should end by the late morning hours. Cooler and drier air advection will prevail this afternoon with relative humidity values dropping into the 35-40% range over much of central/western SoFlo. Please see the Fire Weather section below for more details about fire hazards today.

For Wednesday, expect the drier trend to continue, while pressure gradients start to relax. This will bring a downward trend in wind speeds by the afternoon hours.

The cooler airmass and the persisting ENE winds will keep afternoon highs in the upper 70s over much of the eastern half of SoFlo, and low to mid 80s elsewhere.

LONG TERM

(Wednesday night through Monday) Issued at 316 AM EDT Tue Apr 21 2026

Long range solutions remain fairly persistent in depicting an upper lvl disturbance developing over the SE CONUS and moving into the Gulf for the Thu-Fri time frame. Latest ensembles show an associated low lvl feature also developing over the Gulf, but remaining very weak. The added moisture and instability may bring low-end POP coverage (15-25%) each day, with best chances Friday afternoon, and QPF values in the half inch range or lower.

GFS and Euro bring a weak frontal boundary into the SE CONUS and northern Florida to start the weekend, although it remains uncertain how far south the front may reach. Regardless, the arrival of the boundary will push a ridge of high pressure into the western Atlantic, and further relaxing winds over SoFlo through Sunday. Light winds or even calm periods are possible Sunday afternoon, with overall flow acquiring a southerly component ahead of the front. Combined with daytime heating, this may favor a few showers and thunderstorms, mainly over interior and northern portions of SoFlo each afternoon. Then conditions may begin to dry again early next week behind the departing front.

Temperatures should remain slightly cooler than normals through Friday, with afternoon highs along east coast locations in the upper 70s, and morning lows over interior areas in the low 60s. A gradual warming will follow during the weekend, with afternoon highs in the upper 80s across most areas, and morning lows in the upper 60s to lower 70s.

AVIATION

(06Z TAFS) Issued at 155 AM EDT Tue Apr 21 2026

A few showers may still happen in the vicinity of the Atlantic terminals through around 15-16Z, but VFR should prevail during the next 24 hours. Gusty ENE winds will continue today with gusts in excess of 25 kts at times. Wind speeds will remain moderate tonight.

MARINE

Issued at 316 AM EDT Tue Apr 21 2026

Hazardous boating conditions continue today in the wake of a frontal passage. A few showers and thunderstorms are still possible, mainly over the Atlantic waters, through the late morning hours. Breezy and gusty NE winds will prevail today with hazardous conditions due to seas building up to 8-11 ft over the Atlantic and wind speeds of 20kt or higher. Gulf seas will range from 3-6 ft.

BEACHES

Issued at 316 AM EDT Tue Apr 21 2026

Strong onshore flow and will promote a high risk of rip currents across the Atlantic coastline through the middle of the week. An increasing swell will also bring high surf along the Palm Beach coastline for which a high surf advisory is in effect.

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 316 AM EDT Tue Apr 21 2026

Drier air and breezy northeasterly winds will continue to establishing across the area today behind a frontal passage, and exacerbate the fire weather conditions. Latest model data brings possible relative humidity values down to the 35-40 percent range over interior and west areas of South Florida this afternoon. The 20 ft winds may reach the 15-20mph range at times, along with FPFs in the 2.6-3.4 range. There remains a marginal concern for fire weather conditions for those areas, and a Fire Weather Watch remains in effect.

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

Miami 79 68 78 68 / 0 0 0 10 West Kendall 80 64 79 64 / 0 0 0 10 Opa-Locka 80 68 79 67 / 0 0 0 10 Homestead 79 68 79 68 / 10 0 0 10 Fort Lauderdale 77 69 77 69 / 0 0 0 10 N Ft Lauderdale 77 68 77 69 / 0 0 0 10 Pembroke Pines 81 69 81 69 / 0 0 0 10 West Palm Beach 77 67 77 67 / 0 0 0 10 Boca Raton 77 68 77 69 / 0 0 0 10 Naples 85 63 84 64 / 0 0 0 10

MFL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

FL...Fire Weather Watch from 11 AM EDT this morning through this evening for FLZ069.

High Rip Current Risk through Wednesday morning for FLZ168-172- 173.

High Surf Advisory until 8 PM EDT this evening for FLZ168.

AM...Small Craft Advisory until 2 PM EDT this afternoon for AMZ610.

Small Craft Advisory until 11 AM EDT Wednesday for AMZ630-650- 651-670-671.

GM...Small Craft Advisory until 8 AM EDT Wednesday for GMZ656-657-676.