Funnel Cloud in Florida, March 8, 2026

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Miami FL
136 PM EDT Sun Mar 8 2026

...New UPDATE, AVIATION...

.KEY MESSAGES...
Updated at 124 PM EDT Sun Mar 8 2026

    - A high risk of rip currents will continue for the Atlantic
      Coast beaches through early this evening.

    - Temperatures will remain above normal through most of the
      upcoming week.

    - Scattered showers and thunderstorms could develop over
      Southwest Florida and the Lake Okeechobee region through the
      early evening hours.

&&

.UPDATE...
Issued at 124 PM EDT Sun Mar 8 2026

No major changes were made to the previous forecast as everything
continues to remain on track. As the Gulf breeze continues to push
inland, scattered showers and thunderstorms will develop over
Southwest Florida and the Lake Okeechobee region as the afternoon
progresses. These showers and storms will gradually diminish
during the early evening hours due to loss of diurnal heating.
As the winds become light and variable later this evening, this
will allow for the potential of patchy fog development over the
interior locations as well as Southwest Florida. Some of the fog
has a low chance, (20 to 30 percent), to become locally dense
mainly over interior portions of Southwest Florida just before
sunrise. Low temperatures tonight will generally range from the
lower 60s across interior portions of Southwest Florida to the
lower 70s across the east coast metro areas.

&&

.SHORT TERM...
(Today through Monday)
Issued at 1207 AM EST Sun Mar 8 2026

The end of the weekend and into Monday will see surface high
pressure over the western Atlantic and mid/upper level ridging over
the state of Florida. This will result in a continues ESE flow
however winds will be lighter than the previous several days. With
PWAT values running 1.2-1.4 inches, occasional coastal showers will
continue across the east coast metro mainly during the overnight
hours and early morning. With the weaker ESE flow, the Gulf coast
seas breeze will be able to push further inland across SW FL, so
afternoon and early evening shower and storm chances will increase
over the interior today and again on Monday. With winds over the
interior becoming light to nearly calm overnight, some patchy fog is
possible in the typical locations this morning and again early
Monday morning.

Temperatures will remain above normal with highs ranging from the
low to mid 80s across the east coast metro to upper 80s and around
90 over inland SW FL. Lows tonight will be in the 60s/70s.

&&

.LONG TERM...
(Monday night through Saturday)
Issued at 1207 AM EST Sun Mar 8 2026

High pressure will remain in the western Atlantic through the middle
of next week. Mainly dry conditions will prevail for Tuesday and
Wednesday. A better chance of rain is expected towards the end of
the work week as a frontal boundary slides south across FL late
Thursday into early Friday. While any rainfall will be welcome given
the ongoing drought, QPF amounts Thursday through Friday are meager,
only adding up to a couple of tenths of an inch. Drier conditions
expected by late Friday into the beginning of next weekend, with
only a slight relief in temperatures and humidity expected.

Temperatures will remain above normal through mid week, with highs
generally in the low/mid 80s across SE FL, and upper 80s to around
90 over SW FL. Lows each night will remain mild in the 60s/70s.
Slight relief is expected on Friday, however temps will just drop to
normal ranges for this time of year.

&&

.AVIATION...
(18Z TAFS)
Issued at 124 PM EDT Sun Mar 8 2026

VFR conditions will prevail throughout the forecast period. SE
winds will range between 10 to 15 kts this afternoon across the
east coast terminals before gradually becoming light and variable
this evening. At KAPF, winds will become SW this afternoon as a
Gulf breeze develops. An isolated shower or two cannot be ruled
out near KAPF later this afternoon into the early evening hours.

&&

.MARINE...
Issued at 1207 AM EST Sun Mar 8 2026

Gentle to moderate ESE breeze over the Atlantic waters today, with a
light variable breeze across the Gulf waters. Seas 2-3 ft in the
Atlantic and 2 ft or less in the Gulf. Thunderstorms are possible
late in the day over the Gulf waters, which may result in locally
hazardous winds and seas.

&&

.BEACHES...
Issued at 1207 AM EST Sun Mar 8 2026

Persistent moderate easterly flow will result in a high risk of rip
currents for the Atlantic beaches today. With the flow becoming
weaker early this week, the rip risk will lower but remain elevated
through at least mid week.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Miami            71  84  71  83 /  20  10   0  10
West Kendall     66  86  66  86 /  10  10   0  10
Opa-Locka        70  86  69  86 /  10  10   0  10
Homestead        71  84  71  84 /  20  10   0  10
Fort Lauderdale  71  82  70  82 /  20  10   0  10
N Ft Lauderdale  71  82  71  82 /  10  10   0  10
Pembroke Pines   70  86  70  86 /  10  10   0  10
West Palm Beach  69  84  69  83 /  10  10   0   0
Boca Raton       70  83  70  83 /  20  10   0  10
Naples           68  86  67  86 /  30  20   0  10

&&

.MFL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FL...High Rip Current Risk until 8 PM EDT this evening for FLZ168-172-
     173.

AM...None.
GM...None.
&&

SHORT TERM...CMF
LONG TERM....CMF
AVIATION/UPDATE...CWC