USCG Auxiliary Division 13, District 7

USCG Auxiliary Division 13, District 7 Division 13 oversees the function of five USCG Aux Flotillas in the Florida Keys. Included are Key West, Big Pine Key, Marathon, Islamorada & Ocean Reef.

02/21/2026

NOAA/NWS Florida Keys marine weather update...(here we go again)

Good afternoon, everyone,
Sunday night's cold front will be capable of sustained northwest winds of 25 to 30 knots with occasional gusts near 35 knots
Small Craft Advisory Conditions are Expected
A potent Nor'Easter will form this weekend off the mid-Atlantic and drive a line of decaying showers through the island chain Sunday evening. Behind the line of showers, expect a sharp wind shift and steadily freshening northwesterly breezes. Northwest winds will peak at 25 to 30 knots after midnight for most locations with occasional gusts near 35 knots. Small Craft Advisories are likely to persist through Tuesday morning, so dinghy commuters should be mindful of their Monday morning, Monday evening, and Tuesday morning transits. Given the recent mild weather, the drop in temperatures will be a shock to the system. Near-record low temperatures are possible at some island locations. Despite the improving marine conditions on Tuesday, heavy and confused seas (significant wave heights 3 to 4 feet at the Reef) will linger into Tuesday afternoon, composed of northerly wind waves and refracted swells.

Timing information for the arrival of Small Craft Advisory conditions:
Lower Keys: between 700 and 900 PM Sunday
Middle Keys: between 800 and 1000 PM Sunday
Upper Keys: between 900 and 1100 PM Sunday

If you live or work in a mooring field or anchorage (e.g., Key West Bight or Boot Key Harbor), please remember that winds of these magnitudes are capable of flipping dinghies. Plan your transits to and from the mooring fields and anchorages accordingly. Always wear a life jacket—it is the most proven way to save a life.

02/05/2026

NWS/NOAA

Good morning everyone,

The next cold front will arrive in the Keys on Thursday afternoon with sustained northwest winds of 25 to 30 knots.

Small Craft Advisory Conditions are Expected.

Here we go again. A line of decaying showers will press east-southeast through the island chain around noon on Thursday, followed by a sharp shift in winds and strong northwesterly breezes as the next cold front arrives. Northwest winds will increase to 25 to 30 knots for most locations with occasional gusts near 35 knots. An hour or two of sustained winds near 30 knots would not be surprising. Afternoon charters and dinghy commuters should plan on the strongest winds arriving as early as 100 PM for locations such as Key West, and by 300 PM for locations across the Upper Keys. Breezes will ease overnight, and we may be able to drop Small Craft Advisories for most locations by mid-morning on Friday. The lows near daybreak on Friday will range from the mid to upper 40s in the Upper Keys, to the lower to mid 50s for the Lower and Middle Keys. Despite the improved marine conditions on Friday, heavy seas (significant wave heights 3 to 4 feet at the Reef) will linger into Friday afternoon.

If you live or work in a mooring field or anchorage (e.g., Key West Bight or Boot Key Harbor), please remember that winds of these magnitudes are capable of flipping dinghies. Plan your transits to and from the mooring fields and anchorages accordingly. Always wear a life jacket—it is the most proven way to save a life.

Observed and satellite-derived sea surface temperatures highlight nearshore values in the Lower to Middle Keys near or just above 60, while locations in Florida Bay are in the mid to upper 50s. Most locations will fall back below 60 on Friday morning. Cold water (defined as 59F or below) triggers cold shock—an involuntary gasp reflex—which can lead to immediate inhalation of water and drowning.

01/31/2026

NOAA/NWS Florida Keys marine weather update [Gale Warning]...

Hi everyone, here is an UPDATE to this weekend's marine weather:

Gale Warning in effect for all coastal waters of the Florida Keys
Northerly gales, heavy seas, extremely rough nearshore waters, and life-threatening water temperatures are expected.
Conditions will deteriorate quickly across the Florida Keys today, with rounds of light to moderate rain squalls and subsequent sharp increases in the northwest to north winds. By this evening, prepare for sustained northerly gales near 35 knots, gusting near 45 knots, with heavy seas (significant wave heights as high as 16 feet across the southeastern Gulf and the Straits of Florida, and as high as 8 feet at the Reef), and extremely rough nearshore waters. The howling gales will peak from just after sunset this evening through around midnight. Extremely hazardous marine conditions will persist through Sunday afternoon, so plan to hunker down for at least 24 hours.

If you live or work in a mooring field or anchorage (e.g., Key West Bight or Boot Key Harbor), please remember that winds of these magnitudes will flip dinghies. Plan your transits to and from the mooring fields and anchorages accordingly, or find a safe haven ashore. Always wear a life jacket—it is the most proven way to save a life.

The temperatures tonight through Monday morning will be the coldest temperatures since 2010. The wind chills will fall into the upper 20s to lower 30s in the Upper Keys (Cold Weather Advisory is in effect), the mid to upper 30s in the Middle Keys, and from the upper 30s to lower 40s in the Lower Keys. In the coldest spots, hypothermia will be possible with prolonged exposure. The shallow waters Bayside of the Middle and Upper Keys will quickly respond to the Arctic air mass, with sea surface temperatures falling to near 50 degrees by Monday morning, and possibly into the mid to upper 40s for locations closer to Flamingo. Cold water (defined as 59F or below) triggers cold shock—an involuntary gasp reflex—which can lead to immediate inhalation of water and drowning. Do not risk being on the water this weekend if you can avoid it.

Finally, during the peak of the winds this evening, water levels will surge along the Gulf and Bayside facing communities of the Florida Keys. Locations such as Port Pine Heights, the northern Torches, and Upper Sugarloaf may see water levels approaching a high King Tide, so give your moored boats a little more scope in their spring and dock lines.

01/30/2026

NOAA/NWS Florida Keys marine weather update [Gale Watch]...

Hi everyone,
Gale Watch is in effect for all coastal waters of the Florida Keys--a Gale Warning will be required Saturday evening through Sunday morning
Northerly gales, heavy seas, extremely rough nearshore waters, and life-threatening water temperatures are expected.
A rapidly intensifying coastal cyclone will form east of the Carolinas over the next 18 hours. Meanwhile, an Arctic anticyclone will spill southward into the Great Plains. This setup will drive a powerful cold front through the Keys on Saturday, preceded by rounds of potent squalls, and culminating in northerly gales (sustained near 35 knots, gusting near 45 knots), heavy seas (significant wave heights will peak near 16 feet across the southeastern Gulf and the Straits of Florida, and as high as 8 feet at the Reef), extremely rough nearshore waters, and the coldest temperatures to impact the Keys since 2010. Small Craft Advisory conditions are expected Saturday morning, and winds will steadily increase through the afternoon, then peak Saturday evening through Sunday morning when a Gale Warning will be in effect. Small Craft Advisories are likely to persist through Sunday afternoon. Remember, although a 35 knot wind is only a 1.75 increase in speed over a 20 knot wind, the force of a 35 knot wind is 3x that of a 20 knot wind. Gale-force winds are strong enough to impede walking.

If you live or work in a mooring field or anchorage (e.g., Key West Bight or Boot Key Harbor), please remember that winds of these magnitudes will flip dinghies. Plan your transits to and from the mooring fields and anchorages accordingly, or find a safe haven ashore. Always wear a life jacket—it is the most proven way to save a life.

The wind is not the only story. The wind chills will fall into the upper 20s to lower 30s in the Upper Keys, and the mid to upper 30s in the Middle and Lower Keys. A Cold Weather Advisory will be required for portions of the Middle and Upper Keys. Frostbite and hypothermia will be possible with prolonged exposure. The shallow waters Bayside of the Middle and Upper Keys will quickly respond to the Arctic air mass, with sea surface temperatures falling into the lower to mid 50s. Cold water (defined as 59F or below) triggers cold shock—an involuntary gasp reflex—which can lead to immediate inhalation of water and drowning. Do not risk being on the water this weekend if you can avoid it.

01/26/2026

Hi everyone,
Small Craft Advisory conditions are expected as early as this evening
Sustained northwest to north winds will peak at 25 to 30 knots around and after midnight
A potent winter storm system spread across the Four Corners Region, the Mississippi and Ohio River Valleys, and the northeastern United States over the weekend. It is now our turn. A thin line of showers will push through the Keys around sunset, followed by a sharp shift in winds to the northwest to north with the cold front passage. Sustained northwest to north winds initially will range from 20 to 25 knots, but will peak in the 25 to 30 knot range around and after midnight. Dighy commuters should be mindful of this evening's freshening breezes, and Small Craft Advisories likely will persist through mid-morning on Tuesday. Breezes will surge once again on Wednesday night as a reinforcing shot of arctic air spills through the Keys. Looking forward to the weekend, we will be watching for a potentially stronger northwesterly wind surge on Saturday or Saturday night. We will update as needed later in the week.

If you live or work in a mooring field or anchorage (e.g., Key West Bight or Boot Key Harbor), please remember that winds of these magnitudes can flip dinghies. Plan your transits to and from the mooring fields and anchorages accordingly, and always wear a life jacket—it is the most proven way to save a life.

01/18/2026

Hi everyone,

* Another powerful cold front will blast through the Florida Keys later this afternoon and this evening, bringing near gale-force wind gusts in some areas and transporting modified arctic air into the subtropics.

* Small Craft Advisories have been issued for all Florida Keys marine zones.

Geostationary satellite animations reveal the leading edge of the cold front from the northern part of the Florida Peninsula extending southwestward across the Gulf waters to Mexico. The front will sweep rapidly southeastward today, preceded by a robust wind shift and surge, entering the extreme southeastern Gulf waters by 2:00 p.m. EST, and clearing the Cay Sal Bank by 6:00 p.m. EST. Arrival in most Florida Keys harbors will be between 3:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. EST. Over portions of the western marine zones (e.g., west of the Seven Mile Bridge), winds will shift from light northwesterly to NNW near 30 knots gusting near gale force within a matter of minutes before settling around 25-30 knots. Peak wind speeds will be 5-10 knots less over portions of the eastern zones including Florida Bay.

If you live or work in a mooring field or anchorage (e.g., Key West Bight or Boot Key Harbor), please remember that winds of this magnitude can flip dinghies. Plan your transits to and from the mooring fields and anchorages accordingly, and always wear a life jacket—it is the most proven way to save a life.

Happy New Year from all of us at Division 13!
01/03/2026

Happy New Year from all of us at Division 13!

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