FXUS62 KEYW 090712 AFDEYW AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL 310 AM EDT SAT AUG 9 2008 .DISCUSSION... .CURRENTLY... KBYX RADAR SHOWS ONLY A FEW SHALLOW AND BRIEF SHOWERS SPROUTING ON THE FRINGES OF OUR GULF WATERS AND EXTREME WESTERN ATLANTIC WATERS. SKIES ARE PARTLY CLOUDY OTHERWISE...AND THE DISPLACEMENT OF THE ATLANTIC SURFACE RIDGE TO OUR SOUTH HAVE KEPT THE SURFACE WINDS OUT OF THE WEST. SPEEDS ARE BETWEEN 5 AND 10 KNOTS AT ALL CMAN REPORTING STATIONS...AND THE ISLAND SENSORS ARE REGISTERING 5 MPH ON AVERAGE. TEMPERATURES ARE IN THE LOWER TO MIDDLE 80S ALONG THE ISLAND CHAIN. THE DEEP TROUGH OVER THE EASTERN PORTION OF THE NATION HAS ALLOWED THE ATLANTIC RIDGE AXIS TO SETTLE SOUTH OF THE ISLANDS. THE LATEST MODEL GUIDANCE SUGGESTS THAT THIS ALIGNMENT WILL LAST LONGER THAN PREVIOUS RUNS...KEEPING A WEST TO SOUTHWEST STEERING FLOW IN PLACE PROBABLY UNTIL AT LEAST LATE SUNDAY NIGHT. THE BEST MID LEVEL VORT MAX MOVES THROUGH CENTRAL FLORIDA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...WITH PLENTY OF CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY EXPECTED ACROSS THE PENINSULA. THE STEERING ORIENTATION WILL ALLOW PERIODIC CLOUD LINES ALONG THE ISLAND CHAIN TODAY AND AGAIN ON SUNDAY...AND HAVE KEPT THE SLIGHTLY HIGHER RAIN CHANCE OVER THE LARGER ISLANDS OF THE LOWER KEYS GOING FOR BOTH THOSE PERIODS. THE ONLY ADJUSTMENT TO THE GRIDS WAS TO DELAY THE ONSET OF MORE SOUTHEASTERLY BREEZES UNTIL LATE MONDAY/EARLY TUESDAY...IN ASSOCIATION WITH SCATTERED/LOW CHANCE POPS FOR A WIDER EXTENT OF THE SERVICE AREA. && .MARINE... MOSTLY GENTLE BREEZES OUT OF THE WEST TO SOUTHWEST WILL PERSIST TODAY THROUGH AT LEAST SUNDAY. MORE VARIABLE WINDS ARE EXPECTED LATE SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THE EARLY HALF OF THE WORK WEEK AS THE RIDGE AXIS NUDGES NORTHWARD. NO CAUTIONARY HEADLINES ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE ENTIRE FORECAST. && .AVIATION... VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL AT THE ISLAND TERMINALS THROUGH TODAY. SURFACE WINDS WILL BE SOUTHWEST AT 5 TO 10 KNOTS...BECOMING MORE WESTERLY THIS AFTERNOON. SHOWER ACTIVITY WILL BE ISOLATED THROUGH TODAY. THE BEST CHANCE OF ANY SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM IMPACTS AT ISLAND TERMINALS WILL BE EARLY THIS MORNING AND THEN AGAIN LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... KEY WEST 90 79 90 79 / 30 20 30 20 MARATHON 92 79 92 79 / 20 20 20 20 && .KEY WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FL...NONE. GM...NONE. && $$ 04/11 VISIT US ON THE WEB AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/KEYWEST