National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

• Home
• Site Map
• News
• Organization
• Search for: NWS All NOAA 

000
FXUS62 KKEY 230230
AFDKEY

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Key West FL
1030 PM EDT Mon Apr 22 2024

...New DISCUSSION, MARINE, AVIATION...

.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 1031 PM EDT Mon Apr 22 2024

A weak frontal boundary is currently draped across the forecast
area. Winds have shifted to the northwest to north across island
chain and surrounding coastal waters, which has helped usher in a
very comfortable airmass for late April. Temperatures are in the
mid 70s, with dew points in the mid 60s. Showers and thunderstorms
have been mostly confined to South Florida, with only a few
showers crossing over the eastern Upper Keys this evening.
Convective activity has waned over the past few hours as it has
drifted south towards our area. Behind the front, high pressure
extending across the Eastern Seaboard has started to build in and
winds have increased in response. Marine observation platforms
along the Reef are measuring winds between 15 to 20 knots. The
main question of the evening is just how high winds will get. Have
decided to keep the Upper Keys split off from the rest of the
island chain for both marginally higher winds and slight rain
chances through the overnight hours. Hi-res models continue to
suggest a few more showers in the eastern portion of the forecast
area are not out of the question. All in all, no changes were
needed to the forecast.

&&

.MARINE...
Issued at 1031 PM EDT Mon Apr 22 2024

A Small Craft Advisory is in effect for the eastern Hawk Channel,
eastern Straits of Florida, and SE Gulf. In all other coastal
waters, Small Craft Should Exercise Caution headlines are being
advertised. Marine wind observations in these coastal waters will
continue to be monitored overnight, as some model guidance
suggest a more widespread near 20 knot range than what is
currently forecast. From synopsis, a weak front will continue to
move through the Florida Keys coastal waters overnight. Fresh to
strong breezes will clock around to the northeast before sunrise,
with moderate northeast to east breezes prevailing from late
Tuesday night through Thursday. Strengthening high pressure over
the western North Atlantic will produce fresh to strong easterly
breezes to the Keys marine zones beginning Friday, lasting through
much of next weekend.

&&

.AVIATION...
(00Z TAFS)
Issued at 1031 PM EDT Mon Apr 22 2024

While VFR conditions will generally prevail at both island
terminals, intermittent MVFR CIGS are possible early tonight,
especially at EYW. Skies will quickly clear out before midnight.
Surface winds will start tonight northwest to north at 10 to 15
knots with gusts of 15 to 20 knots. Winds will gradually clock
around to the northeast then to the east by tomorrow morning.

&&

.CLIMATE...
On this day in 1901, the daily record cold high temperature of 70F
was recorded in Key West. Temperature records for April in Key
West date back to 1873.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Key West  73  82  74  83 /  10  10  10  10
Marathon  73  83  75  82 /  10  10  10  10

&&

.KEY WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FL...None.
GM...None.
&&

$$

Public/Marine/Fire...NB
Aviation/Nowcasts....NB
Data Acquisition.....JAM

Visit us on the web at weather.gov/key

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter at:
www.facebook.com/nwskeywest
www.twitter.com/nwskeywest