971  
FXUS62 KKEY 250802  
AFDKEY  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL  
402 AM EDT THU APR 25 2024  
   
..NEW DISCUSSION, MARINE, AVIATION
 
 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
ISSUED AT 400 AM EDT THU APR 25 2024  
 
CURRENTLY - AN ATLANTIC RIDGE EXTENDS A MODEST RIDGE WESTWARD  
ACROSS FLORIDA. THIS IS RESULTING IN GENTLE TO MODERATE EASTERLY  
BREEZES ACROSS THE KEYS THIS MORNING. OVERALL CONDITIONS REMAIN  
QUITE DRY WITH SURFACE DEW POINTS STILL IN THE MID 60S AND  
PRECIPITABLE WATER OF JUST UNDER AN INCH. THIS ALONG WITH A  
SUBSIDENCE INVERSION BASED JUST ABOVE 850 MB AND A BACKING PROFILE  
HAS PREVENTED ANY SHOWER FORMATION. FOR A LONG STRETCH THIS  
EVENING THE FORECAST AREA WAS LARGELY CLOUD FREE. MORE RECENTLY,  
FIELDS OF STRATOCUMULUS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PERCOLATE, BUT STILL NO  
RADAR PRECIPITATION RETURNS. MEANWHILE, TROUGHING DOES PREVAIL  
FROM JUST ABOVE THE INVERSION TO THE TROPOPAUSE. HOWEVER, THIS HAS  
HAD NO IMPACT ON LOCAL WEATHER  
 
FORECAST - THE WEAK RIDGE ACROSS FLORIDA WILL HOLD ON FOR ANOTHER  
DAY, KEEPING WINDS GENERALLY GENTLE OUT OF THE EAST. THE INCOMING  
AIR WILL CONTINUE TO ORIGINATE FROM FURTHER NORTH. THIS ALONG WITH  
BEING DRIVEN BY THE ANTICYCLONE WILL KEEP DEW POINTS DOWN IN THE  
MID 60S. TEMPERATURES WILL RANGE NEAR TO SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL.  
STABLE CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE WITH LOWER LEVEL INHIBITION JUST  
MANAGING TO HOLD ON AND THE MID AND UPPER LEVELS TRANSITIONS TO  
SHARP RIDGING.  
 
HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND, A SPRAWLING CONTINENTAL HIGH WILL SPREAD  
SOUTHEASTWARDS OFF THE ATLANTIC COAST AND STRETCH A BEEFY RIDGE  
AXIS ACROSS THE GULF OF MEXICO. THIS WILL RESULT IN A STIFF  
FRESHENING OF NORTHEAST TO EASTERLY BREEZES. THIS WILL ALSO GIVE A  
LARGE DOSE OF CONTINENTAL AIR AND ENSURE DEW POINTS REMAIN IN THE  
LOWER TO MID 60S. EXPECT TEMPERATURES TO REMAIN NEAR TO SLIGHTLY  
BELOW NORMAL. DEEP LAYERED RIDGING, LACK OF MOISTURE, AND A  
PERSISTENT SUBSIDENCE INVERSION WILL EXTEND OUR LENGTHY STRETCH OF  
DRY AIR.  
 
THE SPRAWLING HIGH WILL STEADILY WEAKEN THROUGH THE WEEKEND AS IT  
SETTLES SOUTHWESTWARD ALONG THE ATLANTIC COAST. EXPECT WINDS TO  
TREND DOWNWARDS FROM LATE IN THE WEEKEND AND THROUGH EARLY NEXT  
WEEK. AS THIS TRANSITION TAKES PLACE, BOUNDARY LAYER MOISTURE WILL  
TREND UPWARDS AND LOCAL DEW POINTS WILL CLIMB INEXORABLY INTO THE  
UPPER 60S. IN ADDITION, THE SYNOPTIC SCALE SUBSIDENCE INVERSION  
WILL ELEVATE TOWARDS 800 MB. ALL THIS ALONG WITH THE FLOW ALOFT  
BECOMING ZONAL AND THE LOWER TO MID LEVEL HIGH BECOMING DISPLACE  
TO OUR NORTH WILL OPEN THE DOOR FOR A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR SHOWERS.  
NO DISTINCT TEMPERATURE TREND IS EXPECTED.  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
 
ISSUED AT 400 AM EDT THU APR 25 2024  
 
AN ATLANTIC RIDGE WILL MAINTAIN A MODEST RIDGE ACROSS FLORIDA  
TODAY AND KEEP GENTLE TO MODERATE EASTERLY BREEZES ON KEYS WATERS.  
WINDS WILL TREND SHARPLY UPWARDS LATE THIS WEEK AND INTO THE  
WEEKEND AS A SPRAWLING HIGH DRIVES SOUTHEASTWARD OFF OF THE  
ATLANTIC COAST AND REACH ACROSS THE GULF OF MEXICO. SMALL CRAFT  
ADVISORIES ARE BECOMING INCREASINGLY LIKELY FOR ALL KEYS WATERS  
BEGINNING FRIDAY NIGHT AND LASTING THROUGH THE WEEKEND. WINDS WILL  
GRADUALLY TAPER BACK EARLY NEXT WEEK AS THE HIGH WEAKENS AND  
SETTLES SOUTHWESTWARD ALONG THE ATLANTIC COAST.  
 

 
   
AVIATION
 
 
(06Z TAFS)  
ISSUED AT 400 AM EDT THU APR 25 2024  
 
VFR AND DRY CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL AT BOTH EYW AND MTH THROUGH THE  
TAF PERIOD. NEAR SURFACE WINDS WILL BE EASTERLY AT 5 TO 10 KNOTS.  
 

 
   
CLIMATE
 
 
OTHER THAN 0.02 INCHES MEASURED AT MTH 3 DAYS AGO, EYW AND MTH HAVE  
REMAINED DRY FOR THE LAST 20 DAYS. THE LAST MEASURABLE RAINFALL WAS  
AT EYW OF 0.55 INCHES ON APRIL 4TH.  
 

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

 
 

 
 
PUBLIC/MARINE/FIRE...11  
AVIATION/NOWCASTS....AP  
DATA ACQUISITION.....AP  
 
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