277
FXUS62 KKEY 210352
AFDKEY
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
1052 PM EST FRI DEC 20 2024
..NEW DISCUSSION, MARINE, AVIATION
DISCUSSION
ISSUED AT 1050 PM EST FRI DEC 20 2024
A REINFORCING COLD FRONT IS CURRENTLY SLIDING SOUTH THROUGH THE
WATERS SURROUNDING THE FLORIDA KEYS. DRY CONTINENTAL AIR STREAMS
IN BEHIND IT WITH MODERATE TO FRESH NORTHWEST TO NORTH BREEZES
DETECTED ALONG REEF OFFSHORE OBSERVATION STATIONS. CIMSS MIMIC PW
DEPICTED A SWATH OF ABOUT 0.8 INCH VALUES ACROSS THE KEYS AT 00Z
WITH VALUES BELOW HALF AN INCH UPSTREAM. UNSURPRISINGLY, KBYX
RADAR IS FREE OF ANY PRECIPITABLE ECHOES AS DRY AIR INVADES THE
LOWER LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE. AND YET, THIS EVENING'S KKEY
SOUNDING RECORDED A PW OF 0.74 INCHES WHICH IS BOTH ALMOST HALF AN
INCH LESS THAN YESTERDAY AT THIS TIME AND RIGHT ON THE CUSP OF
THE 90TH PERCENTILE OF CLIMATOLOGICAL VALUES FOR TODAY.
TEMPERATURES ALONG THE ISLAND CHAIN HAVE FALLEN TO THE UPPER 60S
TO LOWER 70S WITH DEWPOINTS NEAR 60 RESULTING IN A MUCH BETTER
FEELING NIGHT THAN YESTERDAY'S MUGGY EVENING.
MODERATE TO FRESH NORTHWEST TO NORTH BREEZES WILL PREVAIL
THROUGHOUT THE OVERNIGHT HOURS BEHIND THE COLD FRONT'S PASSAGE.
ISOLATED AREAS OF PURELY FRESH BREEZES MAY PERSIST PARTICULARLY
NEAR THE WATERS AROUND THE CENTRAL PORTION OF THE ISLAND CHAIN AND
OFF INTO THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA AS SLIGHTLY FASTER WINDS MIX DOWN
OVER SHALLOWER WATERS. THE MOST RECENT ASCAT PASS FROM ABOUT AN
HOUR AGO OBSERVED WIND SPEEDS FROM 15 TO 20 KNOTS ACROSS THIS
AREA, SO HAVE OPTED TO KEEP MARINE HEADLINES TO SMALL CRAFT SHOULD
EXERCISE CAUTION FOR NOW. COOL, DRY AIR WILL FILTER IN FROM THE
NORTH OVERNIGHT EFFECTIVELY SQUASHING POPS TO NEAR NIL VALUES IN
THE SHORT TERM. TEMPERATURES LATER TONIGHT AND INTO EARLY
SATURDAY MORNING ARE EXPECTED TO FALL INTO THE LOWER 60S WITH SOME
UPPER 50S ALONG THE UPPER KEYS FOR A TRUE WINTER FEELING START TO
THE WEEKEND. THE FORECAST IS ON TRACK WITH NO CHANGES REQUIRED A
THIS TIME.
MARINE
ISSUED AT 1050 PM EST FRI DEC 20 2024
NO WATCHES, WARNINGS, OR ADVISORIES ARE CURRENTLY IN EFFECT FOR
THE COASTAL WATERS OF THE FLORIDA KEYS THOUGH SMALL CRAFT SHOULD
EXERCISE CAUTION IN ALL WATERS EXCEPT THE OUTER GULF WATERS AND
FLORIDA BAY. FROM SYNOPSIS, MODERATE TO FRESH NORTHWEST TO NORTH
BREEZES WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE COASTAL WATERS OF THE FLORIDA KEYS
TONIGHT. STRONG HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD ACROSS THE EASTERN
UNITED STATES SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY, RESULTING IN A
STRENGTHENING PRESSURE GRADIENT. THIS WILL PROMOTE FRESHENING
NORTHEAST TO EAST BREEZES PERSISTING INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK.
AVIATION
(00Z TAFS)
ISSUED AT 1050 PM EST FRI DEC 20 2024
VFR AND DRY CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL AT BOTH EYW AND MTH TONIGHT
AND INTO TOMORROW. WINDS WILL BE OUT OF THE NORTHWEST TO NORTH AT
NEAR 10 KNOTS, WITH GUSTS UP TO 15 TO 20 KNOTS OVERNIGHT BEFORE
SLACKENING FRIDAY MORNING.
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS
KEY WEST 63 70 62 74 / 0 0 0 0
MARATHON 62 71 61 74 / 0 0 0 0
KEY WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
FL...NONE.
GM...NONE.
PUBLIC/MARINE/FIRE...JAM
AVIATION/NOWCASTS....JAM
DATA ACQUISITION.....DR
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