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000
FXUS62 KKEY 240224
AFDKEY

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
1023 PM EDT THU MAY 23 2013

.DISCUSSION...
THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING HAS BEEN THE TOTAL ANTITHESIS FROM
YESTERDAY...WITH STRONG MID AND UPPER LEVEL SUBSIDENCE(ARM AND
HAMMER) SHUTTING DOWN ANY CUMULUS CONGESTUS FORGET PRECIPITATION
ECHOES. HENCE...LOCAL RADARS ARE DETECTING ONLY A FEW BOUNDARIES IN
THE OUTER STRAITS BEYOND 20 NM SOUTHEAST OF THE LOWER AND MIDDLE
KEYS. UNDER MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES WITH LIGHT AND VARIABLE
WINDS...TEMPERATURES ARE HOVERING AROUND 80 DEGREES ALONG THE
FLORIDA KEYS. SURFACE WISE...AN ELONGATED RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE
LIES FROM EXTREME SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA TO THE EXTREME SOUTHEAST GULF
OF MEXICO...AND ACROSS OUR AREA. IN OUR COASTAL WATERS...WINDS ARE
NORTHWEST AT AROUND 5 KNOTS. OTHERWISE...OUR EVENING SOUNDING
REVEALS SCANT MOISTURE (PWAT 1.21 INCHES) UNDERNEATH A SHALLOW 1
DEGREE C INVERSION BASED AT 950 MB. A UNIDIRECTIONAL NORTHWEST
TRAJECTORY GRADUALLY INCREASES WELL UP IN THE TROPOSPHERE.

.SHORT TERM (REST OF TONIGHT)...
GIVEN A DEEP LAYERED RIDGE CENTERED IN THE SOUTH CENTRAL UNITED
STATES REACHING ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST GULF OF MEXICO...AND THROUGH
OUR REGION AND THE ARCHIPELAGO OF CUBA...LARGE SCALE DESCENT WILL
PREDOMINATE OVER THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS. WITH THAT SAID...AN
ABSENCE OF MOISTURE ABOVE 950 MB ALONG WITH A WEAKENING LOW LEVEL
FLOW WILL PRECLUDE SHOWERS. MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES ALONG WITH LIGHT AND
VARIABLE WINDS WILL ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO FALL BETWEEN 75 AND 80
DEGREES...WITH A FEW INTERIOR SECTIONS OF THE LARGER ISLANDS
DROPPING INTO THE LOWER TO MID 70S. SINCE THE CURRENT FORECAST
HANDLES THE SITUATION WELL...NO UPDATE IS PLANNED.

&&

.MARINE...
OUR EVENING SOUNDING INDICATES NORTHWEST WINDS OF 6 KNOTS AT 1 AND 2
THOUSAND FEET RESPECTIVELY WHICH MATCHES THE KBYX VWP. WITH OUR
REGION LYING ON THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF THE REGION OF HIGH PRESSURE
IN THE GULF OF MEXICO...WINDS WILL BE BELOW 10 KNOTS FROM THE
NORTHWEST TO NORTH OR VARIABLE. OUTSIDE OF A FEW SHOWERS...OUR
MARINE DISTRICT WILL BE VOID OF ANY PRECIPITATION ECHOES.

&&

.AVIATION...
OVERNIGHT...VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL AT THE KEY WEST AND MARATHON
TERMINALS. LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS ARE EXPECTED.

&&

.KEY WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FL...NONE.
GM...NONE.

&&

$$

PUBLIC/MARINE/FIRE/DIGITAL...APA
AVIATION/NOWCASTS............DAF
DATA ACQUISITION.............BWC

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