285
FXUS62 KKEY 280837
AFDKEY
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
437 AM EDT FRI AUG 28 2026
..NEW DISCUSSION, MARINE, AVIATION
KEY MESSAGES
- CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED TODAY WITH SLIGHT
CHANCES ANTICIPATED TONIGHT.
- MAINLY LIGHT TO GENTLE EAST TO SOUTHEAST BREEZES WILL CONTINUE
INTO THE WEEKEND, THOUGH OCCASIONAL PERIODS OF MODERATE BREEZES
WILL OCCUR, ESPECIALLY SOUTH OF THE ISLAND CHAIN.
DISCUSSION
ISSUED AT 437 AM EDT FRI AUG 28 2026
CIMSS PRODUCTS CONTINUES TO SHOW THE SPLIT RIDGE PATTERN THAT HAS
DOMINATED FOR MUCH OF THE PAST WEEK REMAINING IN PLACE. THE MAIN
CHANGES HAVE BEEN INTENSITY WITH THE RIDGE JUST SOUTH OF THE FOUR
CORNERS REGION WHICH IS STRONGER THAN IT WAS THIS TIME YESTERDAY.
THE OTHER RIDGE REMAINS OVER THE ATLANTIC JUST SOUTHWEST OF THE
AZORES. IN BETWEEN THE TWO RIDGES, MEAN LAYER TROUGHING REMAINS
ACROSS MUCH OF THE EASTERN UNITED STATES, THOUGH, THIS TROUGH HAS
DUG A BIT FURTHER SOUTH INTO THE GULF EARLY THIS MORNING. AT THE
SURFACE, THE WESTERN PERIPHERY OF THE ATLANTIC RIDGE NUDGES INTO
THE KEYS. MARINE OBSERVATION PLATFORMS SURROUNDING THE ISLAND
CHAIN ARE RECORDING EAST TO SOUTHEAST BREEZES OF 5 TO 10 KNOTS AS
A RESULT. GOES 19 TOTAL PRECIPITABLE WATER (TPW) PRODUCTS SHOWS
ESTIMATED PWATS OF 1.8 TO 2 INCHES IN PLACE THROUGHOUT THE KEYS.
ONE WOULD THINK THIS WOULD BE ENOUGH TO MUSTER UP A BUNCH OF
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. KBYX RADAR HAS ONLY DETECTED A COUPLE
BABY SHOWERS AND A TINY THUNDERSTORM EARLIER IN THE FLORIDA BAY
WHICH LASTED ALL BUT 5 MINUTES, THOUGH BETWEEN 3-4AM, WE NOTICED
ACTIVITY STARTING TO INCREASE, ESPECIALLY OVER THE MARINE AREA.
TEMPERATURES ALONG THE ISLAND CHAIN ARE IN THE MID 80S AND DEW
POINTS ARE IN THE MID TO UPPER 70S.
FORECAST
THE FORECAST FOR TODAY IS TRICKY TO SAY THE LEAST. MULTIPLE CAMS-
CONVECTIVE ALLOWING MESOSCALE SYSTEM MODELS SHOW QUITE THE RAMP UP
IN ACTIVITY SHORTLY AFTER DAYBREAK, ESPECIALLY IN THE VICINITY OF
THE UPPER KEYS. ANY ACTIVITY THAT FORMS, IF THEY DO, ARE
ANTICIPATED TO MOVE SOUTHWEST TO WEST THROUGH THE KEYS WITH THE
THREAT ENDING BY THE EARLY AFTERNOON. NEARLY ALL THE GUIDANCE
SHOWS A SHOWER/STORM FREE LATE AFTERNOON THROUGH EVENING AND INTO
THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. HOWEVER, WITH THAT SAID, A SHOWER OR STORM
OR TWO STILL CANNOT BE COMPLETELY RULED OUT. DUE TO THE NATURE OF
THE PAST FEW DAYS, RAIN CHANCES HAVE BEEN NUDGED DOWN ACROSS THE
BOARD FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT WITH 30% FOR TODAY AND 20% TONIGHT.
GUIDANCE SUGGESTS THIS PATTERN ONCE AGAIN SHOWING MORE MOISTURE
AND EVEN SOME ADDED UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT AS WE HEAD THROUGH THE
WEEKEND. THEREFORE, THE RAIN CHANCES RETURN TO 40% FOR SATURDAY
AND SATURDAY NIGHT WITH 50% FOR SUNDAY. GRANTED WITH THE WAY THIS
PATTERN HAS BEEN PLAYING OUT, ADJUSTMENTS TO THE RAIN CHANCES ARE
PLAUSIBLE. OUTSIDE OF THE MOISTURE, EAST TO SOUTHEAST BREEZES WILL
CONTINUE TO BE ON A PEAKING AND LULLING REGIME. PEAK BREEZES WILL
CONTINUE TO BE DURING THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT WITH LULLS DURING
THE AFTERNOONS AS THE WESTERN PERIPHERY OF THE ATLANTIC HIGH
MAINTAINS CONTROL. DAYTIME HIGHS NEAR 90 DEGREES WITH OVERNIGHT
LOWS IN THE LOWER TO MID 80S.
GLOBAL AND NUMERICAL MODEL GUIDANCE SUGGESTS THIS PATTERN
REMAINING INTO THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK WITH ELEVATED RAIN CHANCES
CONTINUING AND BREEZES PEAKING AND LULLING THROUGH THE PERIOD.
HOWEVER, RAIN CHANCES WILL BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AS WE HAVE SEEN IN
RECENT DAYS. A COMPLICATED PATTERN TO SAY THE LEAST ESPECIALLY
SINCE WE HAVE ALL THIS MOISTURE IN PLACE BUT IT HAS BEEN A
STRUGGLE AT TIMES TO KEEP SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ONGOING. ALSO,
SEPTEMBER IS 4 DAYS AWAY AND ALSO THE TIME WHEN AVERAGE RAIN
CHANCES PEAK (35%). THEREFORE, DAILY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE
PERFECTLY NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF THE YEAR.
TROPICS: THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER (NHC) IS CONTINUING
ADVISORIES ON TROPICAL STORM DOLLY ACROSS THE CENTRAL TROPICAL
ATLANTIC AND THIS SYSTEM DOES NOT POSE A THREAT TO THE FLORIDA
KEYS.
MARINE
ISSUED AT 437 AM EDT FRI AUG 28 2026
THERE ARE CURRENTLY NO WATCHES, WARNINGS, OR ADVISORIES IN EFFECT
ACROSS THE FLORIDA KEYS COASTAL WATERS. FROM SYNOPSIS, THE
WESTERN PERIPHERY OF AN ATLANTIC HIGH IS EXPECTED TO MAINTAIN
CONTROL OF THE KEYS FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. THIS WILL CONTINUE
TO PROMOTE PEAKING AND LULLING EAST TO SOUTHEAST BREEZES. BREEZES
WILL PEAK IN THE EVENING THROUGH EARLY MORNING HOURS AND LULL IN
THE AFTERNOONS. IN ADDITION, THE SOUTHEASTERLY FLOW WILL ALSO KEEP
DEEP MOISTURE IN PLACE ACROSS THE REGION WITH DAILY CHANCES OF
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. LOCALLY HAZARDOUS WINDS AND SEAS ARE
EXPECTED IN THE VICINITY OF THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY.
AVIATION
(06Z TAFS)
ISSUED AT 437 AM EDT FRI AUG 28 2026
VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO PERSIST AT BOTH EYW AND MTH
TERMINALS THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD. NEAR SURFACE WINDS WILL REMAIN
MAINLY EAST TO SOUTHEASTERLY THROUGH THE PERIOD. HOWEVER, THERE
MAY BE PERIOD OF NORTHEAST TO EAST BREEZES THIS EVENING INTO THE
OVERNIGHT HOURS. CHANCES OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS REMAIN IN
THE FORECAST WITH THE NEXT BEST CHANCE TIME FOR ANY ACTIVITY BEING
FROM SHORTLY AFTER SUNRISE THROUGH AROUND MID AFTERNOON.
CLIMATE
ON THIS DAY IN 2020, THE DAILY RECORD WARM LOW TEMPERATURE OF 85F
WAS RECORDED IN KEY WEST. TEMPERATURE RECORDS FOR KEY WEST DATE
BACK TO 1872.
ON THIS DAY IN 2010, THE DAILY RECORD WARM LOW TEMPERATURE OF 84F
WAS RECORDED IN MARATHON. TEMPERATURE RECORDS FOR MARATHON DATE
BACK TO 1951.
OF NOTE
IN 1856, THE ISAAC ALLERTON WAS WRECKED BY A CATEGORY 1
HURRICANE, THAT WAS MOVING ALONG THE NORTHERN PORTION OF CUBA, OFF
THE SADDLEBUNCH KEYS, GROUNDING ON WASHERWOMAN SHOAL. THE ENSUING
SALVAGE PROVED THE ALLERTON TO BE THE RICHEST WRECKING OPERATION
IN KEY WEST HISTORY.
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS
KEY WEST 90 83 91 83 / 20 10 30 40
MARATHON 90 83 90 83 / 30 20 40 40
KEY WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
FL...NONE.
GM...NONE.
PUBLIC/MARINE/FIRE...MJV
AVIATION/NOWCASTS....MJV
DATA ACQUISITION.....MJV
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