Rough water today
forecastNo weather alert for Key West, but the forecast has waves to 5 ft and wind to 22 mph. Fine for a walk, not for a swim.
Rough water today. Partly cloudy, high near 85°. It might rain around 7 AM, 15% chance. Driest stretch: all day, but dry isn't calm. Keep out of rough water. Breezy, up to 22 mph.
forecastRain OutlookOpen-Meteo
tap an hourTop rain chance is just 15%, but dry doesn't mean calm today. See the surf and wind above.
Tide
0.3 ft · falling ↘
Next low tide
12:24 PM 0.2 ft
T−…
1.9 ft of drop from the 7:54 AM high; the wet sand is widest from about 11:24 AM.
Wind
12 mph
from the NNE
UV Index
Moderate
easy sunscreen day
Time to Burn
UV 3 · incl. sand glarefor unprotected fair skin (burns easily, tans a little). SPF 30 if you are out for more than an hour.
Strongest 2 PM to 4 PM · peaks at UV 7
An estimate from the standard erythemal dose model, not a medical limit. Darker skin burns more slowly than this, people vary either way, and sunscreen only helps if you use enough of it and reapply.
Rip Current Riskestimated
todayDangerous currents likely. Knee-deep only, lifeguarded sand only.
Caught in one? Don’t fight it. Swim parallel to the beach until you’re free, then angle back in.
Beach Flag
Red Flag
knee-deep only
estimated · trust the lifeguard
Red Tide
Checking…
asking FWC
Stingers & Biters
modelled, not observedBased on wind, water temperature and humidity. Nobody publishes a live count, so this is what conditions favour today.
No-see-umsUnlikely
10 mph breeze around sunset should keep them down.
Water Quality
bacteria testingWater here is sampled by the Florida Healthy Beaches Program at the Higgs Beach station (1.1 km from the beach centre). We do not restate the result, because the state publishes it only on its own page and a stale copy here could be wrong about today.
Today’s official resultSource: Florida Department of Health
Sargassum WatchNOAA satellite
seaweed outlookLatest 7-day NOAA satellite composite detects moderate sargassum offshore. Some may drift onto the beach. Offshore satellite estimate only — on-the-ground conditions may differ.
Water by Monthtypical
avg 2021–2024Warmest around August (89°), coolest around January (76°).
surf’s up (gently)
Tides are NOAA predictions (Key West station 8724580); temps, wind, UV, waves and water temp are live from Open-Meteo; rip current risk from the NWS surf-zone forecast; red tide from FWC sampling. Flag status is estimated from wave height and wind, so always trust the lifeguard’s actual flag over this app.
Not a beach day today. The National Weather Service has a Coastal Flood Warning in effect for Key West until 5 AM Thursday. High tides will flood the beach, the dunes and nearby low roads. Forecast: waves to 5 ft and wind to 22 mph. The water at Key West is 83°F (28°C) today, about normal for October. For swimming it is warm. Waves are 4–5 ft (rough). The air is 79°F, feeling like 86°F, with breezy 9 mph winds from the NE. The UV index reaches 7 (high), strongest from 2 PM to 4 PM.
The water holds steady around 83°F through Tue Nov 3.
The week ahead at Key West, day by day: the sky, the high, the strongest wind and the biggest waves, the UV peak and the daytime chance of rain, and the water temperature. The calmest day for a swim looks like Mon Nov 2.
| Day | Sky | High | Wind | Waves | UV | Rain | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today | Cloudy | 85°F | 22 mph | 4.8 ft | 7 | 13% | 83°F |
| Thu Oct 29 | Cloudy | 83°F | 11 mph | 2.7 ft | 7 | 3% | 83°F |
| Fri Oct 30 | Drizzle | 81°F | 16 mph | 1.6 ft | 7 | 6% | 83°F |
| Sat Oct 31 | Drizzle | 80°F | 16 mph | 1.7 ft | 7 | 16% | 83°F |
| Sun Nov 1 | Thunderstorms | 80°F | 13 mph | 2 ft | 6 | 34% | 84°F |
| Mon Nov 2 | Thunderstorms | 80°F | 7 mph | 1.6 ft | 6 | 28% | 84°F |
| Tue Nov 3 | Drizzle | 80°F | 8 mph | 1.6 ft | 6 | 4% | 84°F |
High and low tides for the next 7 days, from NOAA’s predictions for tide station 8724580. Heights are in feet above the average low tide. The shell window is the last hour and a quarter of the ebb and the first three-quarters of the flood around the day’s lowest daylight low, when the most sand is bare; the lowest low of the week is marked.
| Day | Tide 1 | Tide 2 | Tide 3 | Tide 4 | Shell window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today | Low 5:49 AM -0.1 | High 12:45 PM 1.6 | Low 5:03 PM 0.9 | High 11:49 PM 2.5 | 3:48 PM–5:48 PM |
| Thu Oct 29 | Low 6:43 AM 0.0 | High 1:39 PM 1.4 | Low 5:43 PM 0.9 | — | 4:28 PM–6:28 PM |
| Fri Oct 30 | High 12:41 AM 2.5 | Low 7:43 AM 0.1 | High 2:38 PM 1.3 | Low 6:32 PM 0.9 | 6:28 AM–8:28 AM · best |
| Sat Oct 31 | High 1:39 AM 2.4 | Low 8:51 AM 0.3 | High 3:46 PM 1.3 | Low 7:37 PM 1.0 | 7:36 AM–9:36 AM |
| Sun Nov 1 | High 1:49 AM 2.2 | Low 9:02 AM 0.4 | High 3:59 PM 1.4 | Low 8:09 PM 1.0 | 7:47 AM–9:47 AM |
| Mon Nov 2 | High 3:13 AM 2.1 | Low 10:08 AM 0.6 | High 5:03 PM 1.5 | Low 9:47 PM 1.0 | 8:53 AM–10:53 AM |
| Tue Nov 3 | High 4:43 AM 2.0 | Low 11:05 AM 0.7 | High 5:52 PM 1.7 | Low 11:10 PM 0.8 | 9:50 AM–11:50 AM |
The average sea temperature at Key West for each month (2021–2024). The water is warmest in August (89°F) and coolest in January (76°F). It averages 74°F or warmer, comfortable for most swimmers, in every month.
| Month | Water °F | Water °C | For swimming |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 76°F | 24°C | Comfortable |
| February | 76°F | 24°C | Comfortable |
| March | 78°F | 26°C | Comfortable |
| April | 79°F | 26°C | Comfortable |
| May | 84°F | 29°C | Warm |
| June | 86°F | 30°C | Warm |
| July | 88°F | 31°C | Very warm |
| August | 89°F | 31°C | Very warm |
| September | 88°F | 31°C | Very warm |
| October (now) | 84°F | 29°C | Warm |
| November | 81°F | 27°C | Warm |
| December | 77°F | 25°C | Comfortable |
Rip currents. If a current pulls you away from shore, don’t fight it: swim parallel to the beach until you are out of it, then swim back in. If you can’t, float and wave for help.
Sun. The UV index peaks at 7 today, when unprotected fair skin burns in about 22 minutes. Wear SPF 30 or higher, reapply every two hours and after swimming, and find shade in the middle of the day.
Red tide. Florida's state sampling (FWC) has flagged nothing near Key West this week. Red tide can make you cough and sting your eyes near the water.
Seaweed. The NOAA satellite shows moderate sargassum offshore.
Water quality. Water at Key West is sampled by the Florida Healthy Beaches Program at the Higgs Beach station. Official sampling results →
Dogs. Dogs are not allowed on this beach.
Weather alerts in effect: Coastal Flood Warning.
Swim near a lifeguard when one is on duty, and follow the beach flags and posted signs. The Key West rules page covers dogs, alcohol, fires and more.
Under 1 ft is calm, good for small children and floating. 1–2 ft is small, fine for most swimmers. 2–4 ft is moderate: fun for bodyboarding, harder for weak swimmers. 4–6 ft is rough, and over 6 ft is dangerous for swimming. Today at Key West it’s rough.
Under 8 mph is light and pleasant. 8–15 mph is breezy, good for kites and cooler on a hot day. 15–25 mph blows sand and whips up the water. Over 25 mph most people pack up. Today at Key West it’s breezy.
0–2 is low, 3–5 moderate, 6–7 high, 8–10 very high and 11 or more extreme. At 8 or more, fair skin can burn in under 20 minutes. The UV index is highest around midday even when it is cloudy.
Under 60°F is cold and most people want a wetsuit. 68–73°F is cool but swimmable. 74–79°F feels comfortable, and 80°F or more feels warm.
83°F (28°C), about normal for October.
At 83°F the water is warm. Waves are 4–5 ft, which is rough.
4–5 ft, which is rough. The wind is 9 mph from the NE.
High tide is at 12:45 PM and 11:49 PM, and low tide is at 5:49 AM and 5:03 PM. Times are NOAA predictions.
The UV index peaks at 7 (high). At that peak, unprotected fair skin burns in about 22 minutes. Wear SPF 30 or higher, reapply every two hours and after swimming, and find shade in the middle of the day.
Florida's state sampling (FWC) has flagged nothing near Key West this week.
The NOAA satellite shows moderate sargassum offshore.
Highs run 80–85°F over the next 7 days. No day has a strong chance of rain. The calmest day for a swim looks like Mon Nov 2.
The water at Key West averages about 84°F (29°C) in October.
August is the warmest month, averaging 89°F. January is the coolest, at 76°F.
The water averages 74°F or warmer from January to December. August is the warmest, at 89°F.
The usual water temperature in October at the nearest beaches. Tap one for its live conditions.
| Stock Island conditions | 2 mi | 84°F |
|---|---|---|
| Sugarloaf Key conditions | 16 mi | 82°F |
| Lower Keys conditions | 21 mi | 83°F |
| Big Pine Key conditions | 28 mi | 84°F |
| Bahia Honda conditions | 32 mi | 84°F |
| Sombrero Beach conditions | 45 mi | 83°F |
More for Key West: parking · sunset time tonight · things to do · US water temperatures today →