108
FZUS52 KKEY 180218
CWFKEY

Coastal Waters Forecast for the Florida Keys
National Weather Service Key West FL
1018 PM EDT Fri Jul 17 2026

Florida Bay, Hawk Channel and Straits of Florida from Ocean Reef
to south of Dry Tortugas, and the extreme southeastern Gulf of
America, including The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

Seas are given as significant wave height, which is the average
height of the highest 1/3 of the waves. Individual waves may be
more than twice the significant wave height.

The Wave Detail section highlights the period and direction of
origin for the highest-energy waves, as well as any long-period
swells moving in a different direction than the wind.

GMZ005-181430-
Synopsis for Keys coastal waters from Ocean Reef to Dry Tortugas
1018 PM EDT Fri Jul 17 2026

.SYNOPSIS...
A weak surface trough over the eastern Gulf and northern Florida
will maintain a split ridge pattern across Florida for the next
several days. The Keys will either be within a col region south of
the broad surface trough, or within the southern quadrant of the
trough. Thus, breezes across the Florida Keys will be variable at
times, or take on a more robust southerly component. Our forecast
takes the middle ground and is an average of the two scenarios.
Regardless of the scenario, breezes will tend to surge overnight,
then lull in the afternoon.

The Approximate Shoreward Edge of the Gulf Stream as of
July 17, 2026...

49 NM South of Dry Tortugas Light...on Loggerhead Key.
51 NM South of Cosgrove Shoal Light...off the Marquesas Keys.
38 NM South of Sand Key Light...off Key West.
22 NM South of Looe Key...off Big Pine Key.
13 NM South of Sombrero Key Light...off Marathon.
 6 NM Southeast of Alligator Reef Light...off Islamorada.
 2 NM Southeast of Molasses Reef Light...off Key Largo.
 1 NM Southeast of Carysfort Reef Light...off Ocean Reef.

Gulf Stream Information Courtesy of the National Weather Service in
Key West, using data from RTOFS and NASA SPoRT SST.

$$

GMZ031-181430-
Florida Bay including Barnes Sound, Blackwater Sound, and
Buttonwood Sound-
1018 PM EDT Fri Jul 17 2026

.OVERNIGHT...Southeast to south winds 5 to 10 knots. Bay waters
smooth to a light chop. A slight chance of showers and
thunderstorms.
.SATURDAY...Southeast to south winds near 10 knots. Bay waters a
light chop. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Southeast winds 10 to 15 knots. Bay waters a
light to moderate chop. A slight chance of showers and
thunderstorms.
.SUNDAY...Southeast to south winds near 10 knots. Bay waters a
light chop. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...Southeast to south winds 5 to 10 knots. Bay
waters smooth to a light chop. A slight chance of showers and
thunderstorms.
.MONDAY...South winds near 10 knots. Bay waters a light chop. A
slight chance of showers and thunderstorms.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Southeast winds 5 to 10 knots, increasing to
10 to 15 knots after midnight. Bay waters smooth to a light chop,
becoming a light to moderate chop.
.TUESDAY...Southeast winds 10 to 15 knots, decreasing to 5 to 10
knots in the afternoon. Bay waters a light to moderate chop,
becoming smooth to a light chop.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...East to southeast winds 5 to 10 knots. Bay
waters smooth to a light chop.
.WEDNESDAY...East to southeast winds 5 to 10 knots. Bay waters
smooth to a light chop. A slight chance of showers.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...East winds 5 to 10 knots. Bay waters smooth to
a light chop.

$$

GMZ032-035-181430-
Bayside and Gulfside from Craig Key to west end of Seven Mile
Bridge-
Gulf of America from west end of Seven Mile Bridge to Halfmoon
Shoal out to 5 Fathoms-
1018 PM EDT Fri Jul 17 2026

.OVERNIGHT...Southeast to south winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas 1 foot
or less. Nearshore waters smooth to a light chop. A slight chance
of showers and thunderstorms.
.SATURDAY...Southeast to south winds near 10 knots. Seas around 1
foot. Nearshore waters a light chop. A slight chance of showers
and thunderstorms.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Southeast winds 10 to 15 knots. Seas 1 to 2
feet. Nearshore waters a light to moderate chop. A slight chance
of showers and thunderstorms.
.SUNDAY...Southeast to south winds 10 to 15 knots, decreasing to
5 to 10 knots in the afternoon. Seas 1 to 2 feet, subsiding to 1
foot or less. Nearshore waters a light to moderate chop, becoming
smooth to a light chop. A slight chance of showers and
thunderstorms.
.SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY...South winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas 1 foot
or less. Nearshore waters smooth to a light chop. A slight chance
of showers and thunderstorms.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Southeast to south winds near 5 knots, becoming
southeast and increasing to 10 to 15 knots after midnight. Seas 1
foot or less, building to 1 to 2 feet. Nearshore waters smooth,
becoming a light to moderate chop.
.TUESDAY...Southeast winds near 10 knots. Seas around 1 foot.
Nearshore waters a light chop.
.TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...East to southeast winds 5 to 10
knots. Seas 1 foot or less. Nearshore waters smooth to a light
chop.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...East to southeast winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas
1 foot or less. Nearshore waters smooth to a light chop. A slight
chance of showers.

$$

GMZ042>044-181430-
Hawk Channel from Ocean Reef to Craig Key out to the reef-
Hawk Channel from Craig Key to west end of Seven Mile Bridge out
to the reef-
Hawk Channel from west end of Seven Mile Bridge to Halfmoon Shoal
out to the reef-
1018 PM EDT Fri Jul 17 2026

.OVERNIGHT...Southeast winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas around 1 foot.
Nearshore waters smooth to a light chop. A slight chance of
showers and thunderstorms.
.SATURDAY...Southeast to south winds near 10 knots. Seas 1 to 2
feet. Nearshore waters a light chop. A slight chance of showers
and thunderstorms.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Southeast winds 10 to 15 knots. Seas around 2
feet. Nearshore waters a light to moderate chop. A slight chance
of showers and thunderstorms.
.SUNDAY...Southeast to south winds 10 to 15 knots, decreasing to
5 to 10 knots in the afternoon. Seas around 2 feet, subsiding to 1
to 2 feet. Nearshore waters a light to moderate chop, becoming
smooth to a light chop. A slight chance of showers and
thunderstorms.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...Southeast to south winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas
around 1 foot. Nearshore waters smooth to a light chop. A slight
chance of showers and thunderstorms.
.MONDAY...South winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas around 1 foot.
Nearshore waters smooth to a light chop. A slight chance of
showers and thunderstorms.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Southeast winds 5 to 10 knots, increasing to
10 to 15 knots after midnight. Seas around 1 foot, building to
around 2 feet. Nearshore waters smooth to a light chop, becoming
a light to moderate chop.
.TUESDAY...Southeast winds 10 to 15 knots, decreasing to 5 to 10
knots in the afternoon. Seas around 2 feet, subsiding to 1 to 2
feet. Nearshore waters a light to moderate chop, becoming smooth
to a light chop.
.TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...East to southeast winds 5 to 10
knots. Seas around 1 foot. Nearshore waters smooth to a light
chop.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...East winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas around 1 foot.
Nearshore waters smooth to a light chop.

$$

GMZ052>055-072>075-181430-
Straits of Florida from Ocean Reef to Craig Key out 20 NM-
Straits of Florida from Craig Key to west end of Seven Mile
Bridge out 20 NM-
Straits of Florida from west end of Seven Mile Bridge to south of
Halfmoon Shoal out 20 NM-
Straits of Florida from Halfmoon Shoal to 20 NM west of Dry
Tortugas out 20 NM-
Straits of Florida from Ocean Reef to Craig Key 20 to 60 NM out-
Straits of Florida from Craig Key to west end of Seven Mile
Bridge 20 to 60 NM out-
Straits of Florida from west end of Seven Mile Bridge to south of
Halfmoon Shoal 20 to 60 NM out-
Straits of Florida from Halfmoon Shoal to 20 NM west of Dry
Tortugas 20 to 60 NM out-
1018 PM EDT Fri Jul 17 2026

.OVERNIGHT...Southeast winds near 10 knots. Seas 1 to 2 feet,
building to around 2 feet. Wave Detail: East to southeast 2 feet
at 4 seconds. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms.
.SATURDAY...Southeast winds 10 to 15 knots, decreasing to near 10
knots in the afternoon. Seas 2 to 3 feet, subsiding to 1 to 2
feet. Wave Detail: East to southeast 2 feet at 4 seconds. A
slight chance of showers and thunderstorms.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Southeast winds near 10 knots, increasing to
near 15 knots. Seas around 2 feet, building to 2 to 3 feet. Wave
Detail: East to southeast 2 feet at 4 seconds. A slight chance of
showers and thunderstorms.
.SUNDAY...Southeast to south winds 10 to 15 knots, decreasing to
near 10 knots in the afternoon. Seas 2 to 3 feet, subsiding to
around 2 feet. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...Southeast winds near 10 knots. Seas around 2
feet. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms.
.MONDAY...Southeast to south winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas 1 to
2 feet. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms.
.MONDAY NIGHT...East to southeast winds 5 to 10 knots, becoming
southeast and increasing to 10 to 15 knots after midnight. Seas 1
to 2 feet, building to 2 to 3 feet.
.TUESDAY...Southeast winds 10 to 15 knots, becoming east to
southeast and decreasing to 5 to 10 knots in the afternoon. Seas
2 to 3 feet, subsiding to 1 to 2 feet.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...East winds 5 to 10 knots, becoming east to
southeast and increasing to 10 to 15 knots after midnight. Seas 1
to 2 feet, building to 2 to 3 feet.
.WEDNESDAY...East winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas 1 to 2 feet.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...East winds near 10 knots. Seas around 2 feet.
A slight chance of showers.

$$

GMZ033-034-181430-
Gulf of America from East Cape Sable to Chokoloskee 20 to 60 NM
out and beyond 5 fathoms-
Gulf of America including Dry Tortugas and Rebecca Shoal Channel-
1018 PM EDT Fri Jul 17 2026

.OVERNIGHT...Variable winds 5 to 10 knots, becoming south. Seas
around 1 foot. Wave Detail: Northwest to north 1 foot at 5
seconds. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Wind and
seas higher near thunderstorms.
.SATURDAY...South winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas around 1 foot. Wave
Detail: Northwest to north 1 foot at 5 seconds. A chance of
showers and thunderstorms.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Southeast to south winds 5 to 10 knots,
increasing to 10 to 15 knots after midnight. Seas 1 to 2 feet,
building to 1 to 3 feet. Wave Detail: Northwest 1 foot at 5
seconds. A chance of showers and thunderstorms.
.SUNDAY...South winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas 1 to 2 feet. A chance
of showers with a slight chance of thunderstorms.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...South to southwest winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas
around 1 foot. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms.
.MONDAY...South to southwest winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas around
1 foot. A chance of showers with a slight chance of
thunderstorms.
.MONDAY NIGHT...South winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas around 1 foot. A
slight chance of showers.
.TUESDAY...Southeast to south winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas around
1 foot.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...Southeast winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas around
1 foot.
.WEDNESDAY...East to southeast winds near 5 knots. Seas around
1 foot.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...East to southeast winds near 5 knots. Seas
around 1 foot. A slight chance of showers.

$$