HomeForecastsFlorida ForecastsCow Key Channel, FL Coastal Forecast

Cow Key Channel, FL Coastal Forecast

FZUS52 KKEY 050326
CWFKEY

Coastal Waters Forecast for the Florida Keys
National Weather Service Key West FL
1026 PM EST Thu Dec 4 2025

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.

GMZ005-051530-
Synopsis for Keys coastal waters from Ocean Reef to Dry Tortugas
1026 PM EST Thu Dec 4 2025

.SYNOPSIS...Gentle to moderate northeast to east breezes will
begin to veer southeasterly overnight. A messy high pressure
system over the eastern CONUS will allow breezes to slacken to
light to gentle over the weekend. Shower coverage will start to
increase by the start of next week as breezes become southerly,
and a cold frontal passage is possible early next week.

The Approximate Shoreward Edge of the Gulf Stream as of December 4...

21 NM South of Dry Tortugas Light...on Loggerhead Key.
21 NM South of Cosgrove Shoal Light...off the Marquesas Keys.
22 NM South of Sand Key Light...off Key West.
15 NM South of Looe Key...off Big Pine Key.
8 NM Southeast of Sombrero Key Light...off Marathon.
6 NM Southeast of Alligator Reef Light...off Islamorada.
3 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 based on products from NASA SPoRT.

$$

GMZ031-051530-
Florida Bay including Barnes Sound, Blackwater Sound, and
Buttonwood Sound-
1026 PM EST Thu Dec 4 2025

.OVERNIGHT...Northeast to east winds near 10 knots, becoming east.
Bay waters a light chop.
.FRIDAY...East to southeast winds near 10 knots, decreasing to 5
to 10 knots. Bay waters a light chop, becoming smooth to a light
chop.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...East to southeast winds 5 to 10 knots. Bay waters
smooth to a light chop.
.SATURDAY...Southeast winds 5 to 10 knots. Bay waters smooth to a
light chop.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Southeast to south winds 5 to 10 knots. Bay
waters smooth to a light chop. Isolated showers.
.SUNDAY...South to southwest winds 5 to 10 knots. Bay waters
smooth to a light chop. Isolated showers.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...Southwest to west winds 5 to 10 knots. Bay waters
smooth to a light chop. Scattered showers.
.MONDAY...West to northwest winds near 10 knots, increasing to 10
to 15 knots. Bay waters a light chop, becoming a light to
moderate chop. Scattered showers.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Northwest to north winds 10 to 15 knots,
increasing to near 15 knots. Bay waters a light to moderate chop,
becoming a moderate chop. Isolated showers.
.TUESDAY...Northeast winds 10 to 15 knots, decreasing to near 10
knots. Bay waters a light to moderate chop, becoming a light
chop. Isolated showers.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...North to northeast winds 5 to 10 knots. Bay
waters smooth to a light chop. Isolated showers.

$$

GMZ032-035-051530-
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-
1026 PM EST Thu Dec 4 2025

.OVERNIGHT...Northeast to east winds 10 to 15 knots, becoming east
and decreasing to near 10 knots. Seas 1 to 2 feet, except around
2 feet west of the Marquesas Keys. Nearshore waters a light to
moderate chop, becoming a light chop.
.FRIDAY...East to southeast winds near 10 knots, decreasing to 5
to 10 knots. Seas subsiding to around 1 foot, except subsiding to
1 to 2 feet west of the Marquesas Keys. Nearshore waters a light
chop, becoming smooth to a light chop.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...East to southeast winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas
subsiding to 1 foot or less. Nearshore waters smooth to a light
chop.
.SATURDAY...Southeast winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas 1 foot or less.
Nearshore waters smooth to a light chop.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Southeast to south winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas 1
foot or less. Nearshore waters smooth to a light chop. Isolated
showers.
.SUNDAY...South to southwest winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas around 1
foot. Nearshore waters smooth to a light chop. Isolated showers.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...Southwest to west 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. Scattered showers.
.MONDAY...West to northwest winds near 10 knots, increasing to 10
to 15 knots. Seas building to 1 to 2 feet, except building to 2
to 3 feet west of the Marquesas Keys. Nearshore waters a light
chop, becoming a light to moderate chop. Scattered showers.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Northwest to north winds 10 to 15 knots, becoming
north to northeast near 15 knots. Seas building to 2 to 3 feet,
except building to 3 to 5 feet, occasionally to 6 feet west of the
Marquesas Keys. Nearshore waters a light to moderate chop,
becoming a moderate chop. Isolated showers.
.TUESDAY...Northeast winds 10 to 15 knots, becoming near 10 knots.
Seas 2 to 3 feet, subsiding to 1 to 2 feet. West of the Marquesas
Keys, seas 2 to 4 feet, occasionally to 5 feet, subsiding to 2 to
3 feet. Nearshore waters a light to moderate chop, becoming a
light chop. Isolated showers.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...North to northeast winds near 10 knots. Seas
1 to 2 feet, except around 2 feet west of the Marquesas Keys.
Nearshore waters a light chop. Isolated showers.

$$

GMZ042>044-051530-
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-
1026 PM EST Thu Dec 4 2025

.OVERNIGHT...Northeast to east winds 10 to 15 knots, becoming east.
Seas 1 to 2 feet, except around 2 feet west of Cosgrove Shoal
Light. Nearshore waters a light to moderate chop.
.FRIDAY...East to southeast winds near 10 knots, decreasing to 5
to 10 knots. Seas 1 to 2 feet. Nearshore waters a light chop,
becoming a smooth to a light chop.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...East to southeast winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas
subsiding to around 1 foot. Nearshore waters smooth to a light
chop.
.SATURDAY...Southeast winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas around 1 foot.
Nearshore waters smooth to a light chop.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Southeast to south winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas
around 1 foot. Nearshore waters smooth to a light chop. Isolated
showers.
.SUNDAY...South to southwest winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas around
1 foot. Nearshore waters smooth to a light chop. Isolated showers.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...Southwest to west winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas around
1 foot. Nearshore waters smooth to a light chop. Scattered showers.
.MONDAY...West to northwest winds near 10 knots, increasing to 10
to 15 knots. Seas 1 to 2 feet. Nearshore waters a light chop,
becoming a light to moderate chop. Scattered showers.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Northwest to north winds 10 to 15 knots, becoming
north to northeast near 15 knots. Seas 1 to 2 feet, except building
to 2 to 4 feet, occasionally to 5 feet west of Cosgrove Shoal
Light. Nearshore waters a light to moderate chop, becoming a
moderate chop. Isolated showers.
.TUESDAY...Northeast winds 10 to 15 knots, becoming near 10 knots.
Seas 1 to 2 feet. West of Cosgrove Shoal Light, seas 2 to 3 feet.
Nearshore waters a light to moderate chop, becoming a light chop.
Isolated showers.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...North to northeast winds near 10 knots. Seas 1
to 2 feet. Nearshore waters a light chop. Isolated showers.

$$

GMZ052>055-072>075-051530-
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-
1026 PM EST Thu Dec 4 2025

.OVERNIGHT...Northeast to east winds 10 to 15 knots, becoming east.
Seas 2 to 4 feet. Wave Detail: Northeast to east 3 feet at 5
seconds and west to northwest 1 foot at 6 seconds.
.FRIDAY...East to southeast winds 10 to 15 knots. Seas 2 to
3 feet. Wave Detail: East 3 feet at 5 seconds and northwest 1
foot at 5 seconds.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...East to southeast winds near 10 knots. Seas
subsiding to around 2 feet. Wave Detail: East to southeast 2 feet
at 5 seconds.
.SATURDAY...Southeast winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas 1 to 2 feet.
Isolated showers.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Southeast to south winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas 1
to 2 feet. Isolated showers.
.SUNDAY...South to southwest winds near 10 knots. Seas 1 to 2 feet.
Isolated showers.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...Southwest to west winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas
1 to 2 feet. Scattered showers.
.MONDAY...West to northwest winds near 10 knots, increasing to 10
to 15 knots. Seas 1 to 2 feet, building to around 2 feet.
Scattered showers.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Northwest to north winds 10 to 15 knots, becoming
north to northeast winds near 15 knots. Seas building to 2 to 4
feet, occasionally to 5 feet. Isolated showers.
.TUESDAY...Northeast to east winds 10 to 15 knots, becoming
northeast near 10 knots. Seas 3 to 5 feet, occasionally to 6
feet, subsiding to 2 to 4 feet, occasionally to 5 feet. Isolated
showers.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...North to northeast winds near 10 knots. Seas
2 to 3 feet. Isolated showers.

$$

GMZ033-034-051530-
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-
1026 PM EST Thu Dec 4 2025

.OVERNIGHT...East winds 10 to 15 knots, becoming east to southeast.
Seas around 2 feet. Wave Detail: East 2 feet at 3 seconds and
west to northwest 1 foot at 6 seconds.
.FRIDAY...East to southeast winds near 10 knots, decreasing to 5
to 10 knots. Seas subsiding to 1 to 2 feet. Wave Detail: East to
southeast 2 feet at 3 seconds and west to northwest 1 foot at 5
seconds.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...East to southeast winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas
around 1 foot. Wave Detail: East to southeast 1 foot at 3
seconds.
.SATURDAY...Southeast winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas around 1 foot.
Isolated showers.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Southeast to south winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas
around 1 foot. Isolated showers.
.SUNDAY...South to southwest winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas around
1 foot. Scattered showers.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...Southwest to west winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas 1 to
2 feet. Scattered showers.
.MONDAY...West to northwest winds near 10 knots, becoming
northwest to north 10 to 15 knots. Seas building to around 2
feet. Scattered showers.
.MONDAY NIGHT...North to northeast winds near 15 knots. Seas
building to 3 to 5 feet, occasionally to 6 feet. Isolated
showers.
.TUESDAY...Northeast winds 10 to 15 knots. Seas 2 to 4 feet,
occasionally to 5 feet. Isolated showers.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...North to northeast winds near 10 knots. Seas 2 to
3 feet, subsiding to 1 to 2 feet. Isolated showers.

$$

MJV


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