160
FZUS52 KKEY 030924
CWFKEY

Coastal Waters Forecast for the Florida Keys
National Weather Service Key West FL
424 AM EST Sat Jan 3 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.

Wave Detail will include details about the period and direction
of origin for the highest energy waves. Long-period swells coming
from a different direction than the wind would be included in the
Wave Detail.

GMZ005-032130-
Synopsis for Keys coastal waters from Ocean Reef to Dry Tortugas
424 AM EST Sat Jan 3 2026

.SYNOPSIS...High pressure centered just east of South Florida
will maintain light and variable breezes today, gradually veering
to the southwest to west by tonight. A weak front will pass
through the Florida Keys marine zones late Sunday, allowing
breezes to clock around to the northwest, then quickly to the
northeast Sunday night and Monday. As an area of high pressure
slides eastward into the central North Atlantic, light to gentle
northeast to east breezes will gradually freshen and veer to the
east to southeast by mid-week.

The Approximate Shoreward Edge of the Gulf Stream as of January
01...

14 NM South of Dry Tortugas Light...on Loggerhead Key.
14 NM South of Cosgrove Shoal Light...off the Marquesas Keys.
14 NM South of Sand Key Light...off Key West.
13 NM South of Looe Key...off Big Pine Key.
12 NM Southeast of Sombrero Key Light...off Marathon.
 9 NM Southeast of Alligator Reef Light...off Islamorada.
 3 NM Southeast of Molasses Reef Light...off Key Largo.
 2 NM Southeast of Carysfort Reef Light...off Ocean Reef.

Gulf Stream Information Courtesy of the National Weather Service in
Key West based on products from NASA SPoRT and RTOFS.

$$

GMZ031-032130-
Florida Bay including Barnes Sound, Blackwater Sound, and
Buttonwood Sound-
424 AM EST Sat Jan 3 2026

.TODAY...Variable winds near 5 knots, becoming southwest to west.
Bay waters smooth.
.TONIGHT...Southwest to west winds 5 to 10 knots. Bay waters
smooth to a light chop.
.SUNDAY...Southwest to west winds near 10 knots, becoming west.
Bay waters a light chop. Isolated showers.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...West to northwest winds 5 to 10 knots, becoming
north. Bay waters smooth to a light chop.
.MONDAY...North to northeast winds near 5 knots. becoming
northeast to east. Bay waters smooth.
.MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY...Northeast to east winds near 5 knots.
Bay waters smooth.
.TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...Northeast to east winds 5 to 10 knots.
Bay waters smooth to a light chop.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...East winds near 10 knots. Bay waters a light
chop.

$$

GMZ032-035-032130-
Bayside and Gulf side from Craig Key to west end of Seven Mile
Bridge-
Gulf of Mexico from west end of Seven Mile Bridge to Halfmoon
Shoal out to 5 Fathoms-
424 AM EST Sat Jan 3 2026

.TODAY...Variable winds near 5 knots, becoming southwest. Seas 1
foot or less. Nearshore waters smooth.
.TONIGHT...Southwest winds 5 to 10 knots, increasing to near 10
knots. Seas around 1 foot. Nearshore waters smooth to a light
chop, becoming a light chop. Isolated showers.
.SUNDAY...Southwest to west winds near 10 knots, becoming west.
Seas 1 to 2 feet. Nearshore waters a light chop. Isolated showers.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...West to northwest winds 5 to 10 knots, becoming
north to northeast. Seas 1 to 2 feet, except around 2 feet west
of the Marquesas Keys. Nearshore waters smooth to a light chop.
.MONDAY...Northeast near 5 knots, becoming northeast to east.
Seas 1 to 2 feet. Nearshore waters smooth.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Northeast to east winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas
around 1 foot, except 1 to 2 feet west of the Marquesas Keys.
Nearshore waters smooth to a light chop.
.TUESDAY...Northeast to east winds near 5 knots. Seas around 1
foot. Nearshore waters smooth.
.TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...Northeast to east winds 5 to 10
knots. Seas around 1 foot. Nearshore waters smooth to a light
chop.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...East winds near 10 knots. Seas 1 to 2 feet.
Nearshore waters a light chop.

$$

GMZ042>044-032130-
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-
424 AM EST Sat Jan 3 2026

.TODAY...Variable winds near 5 knots, becoming southwest. Seas 1
foot or less. Nearshore waters smooth.
.TONIGHT...Southwest to west winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas around 1
foot. Nearshore waters smooth to a light chop. Isolated showers.
.SUNDAY...Southwest to west winds near 10 knots, becoming west.
Seas building to 1 to 2 feet, except building to 2 to 3 feet west
of Cosgrove Shoal Light. Nearshore waters a light chop. Isolated
showers.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...West to northwest winds 5 to 10 knots, becoming
north to northeast. Seas 1 to 2 feet, except 2 to 3 feet west of
Cosgrove Shoal Light. Nearshore waters smooth to a light chop.
.MONDAY...Northeast near 5 knots, becoming northeast to east.
Seas subsiding to around 1 foot, except subsiding to 1 to 2 feet
west of Cosgrove Shoal Light. Nearshore waters smooth.
.MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY...Northeast to east winds 5 to 10
knots. Seas around 1 foot, except 1 to 2 feet west of Cosgrove
Shoal Light. Nearshore waters smooth to a light chop.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...East winds near 10 knots. Seas 1 to 2 feet,
except around 2 feet west of Cosgrove Shoal Light. Nearshore
waters a light chop.

$$

GMZ052>055-072>075-032130-
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-
424 AM EST Sat Jan 3 2026

.TODAY...Variable winds near 5 knots, becoming southwest to west.
Seas around 1 foot. Wave Detail: Northeast to east 1 foot at 5
seconds. Isolated showers.
.TONIGHT...Southwest to west winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas 1 to 2
feet. Wave Detail: Northeast to east 1 foot at 4 seconds.
Isolated showers.
.SUNDAY...Southwest to west winds 5 to 10 knots, becoming west
and increasing to near 10 knots. Seas 1 to 2 feet, except building
to 2 to 3 feet west of Halfmoon Shoal Light. Wave Detail:
Southwest to west 1 foot at 3 seconds and northeast to east 1 foot
at 4 seconds. Isolated showers.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...West to northwest winds 5 to 10 knots, becoming
north to northeast. Seas 1 to 2 feet, except 2 to 3 feet west of
Halfmoon Shoal Light. Isolated showers.
.MONDAY...Northeast near 5 to 10 knots, becoming northeast to
east. Seas 1 to 2 feet, except around 2 feet west of Halfmoon
Shoal Light. Isolated showers.
.MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY...Northeast to east winds 5 to 10
knots. Seas 1 to 2 feet.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...East winds near 10 knots. Seas building to 2 to
3 feet.
.WEDNESDAY...East winds near 10 knots. Seas 2 to 3 feet.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...East winds 10 to 15 knots. Seas 2 to 4 feet.

$$

GMZ033-034-032130-
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-
424 AM EST Sat Jan 3 2026

.TODAY...South to southwest winds near 5 knots. Seas around
1 foot. Wave Detail: West to northwest 1 foot at 5 seconds.
.TONIGHT...Southwest to west winds 5 to 10 knots, increasing to
near 10 knots. Seas 1 to 2 feet, building to around 2 feet. Wave
Detail: Southwest to west 2 feet at 5 seconds. Isolated showers.
.SUNDAY...Southwest to west winds near 10 knots, becoming west.
Seas 2 to 3 feet. Wave Detail: West 3 feet at 6 seconds. Isolated
showers.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...West to northwest winds 5 to 10 knots, becoming
northeast. Seas 2 to 3 feet.
.MONDAY...Northeast to east winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas 2 to
3 feet, subsiding to around 2 feet.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Northeast to east winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas around
2 feet, subsiding to 1 to 2 feet.
.TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT...East winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas 1 to
2 feet.
.WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT...East winds near 10 knots. Seas
around 2 feet.

$$

BT