Weather & Beach Conditions
Fort Walton Beach and the Emerald Coast, live from the National Weather Service, NOAA, NASA and the EPA.
Showers And Thunderstorms
Feels 77°
NWS station KCEW · 11:20 PM
Showers and thunderstorms. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 82. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.
- Sunrise
- 6:41 AM
- Sunset
- 6:28 PM
- Rip current
- High
- UV index
- 1 Low
- Wind from N
- 0mph
Active advisories
Tide — Okaloosa Island
Next high 4:34 · 1.8 ftPredictions from NOAA Tides & Currents, station 8729547, relative to MLLW.
Next few days
Monday
82°
Showers And Thunderstorms
84% rain
Tuesday
81°
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
46% rain
Wednesday
84°
Partly Sunny
6% rain
Thursday
85°
Mostly Sunny
6% rain
Friday
82°
Chance Rain Showers
44% rain
Saturday
81°
Showers And Thunderstorms
79% rain
Sunday
82°
Showers And Thunderstorms
76% rain
Today
Sunrise 6:41 AM
Flat81% cloud through the 90 minutes after first light — best between 30 and 60.
Today
Sunset 6:28 PM
Flat87% cloud through the golden hour — best between 30 and 60.
- Gulf water · 42012
- 84°F
- Seas
- --No current reading from the buoy
- high tide · 1.8 ft
- 4:34
- Wind from N
- 0mph
- Rip current
- High
- Surf
- 3 to 4 feet
- UV peak · 10 AM
- 1 Low
On the beach
Rip current risk is high today. Conditions can pull even strong swimmers away from shore -- stay near a lifeguard, and if you are caught, swim parallel to the beach until you are out of the pull before heading in.
Surf is running 3 to 4 feet, water in the lower 80s.
UV peaks at 1 around 10 AM, which is moderate for this coast.
Beach warning flags are set daily by Okaloosa County Beach Safety. Text BEACH to 44144 for their daily alert, or check county Beach Safety. The flag flying at the access always outranks this page.
NWS Surf Zone Forecast FLZ206 · covers Pensacola Beach, Gulf Breeze, Navarre Beach, Fort Walton Beach, and Destin
Offshore
Small craft advisoryA diurnal wind pattern will likely persist through the week even as a weak front drops into the area Wednesday night. This front will drift over the coast and into the coastal waters Thursday and Friday but as it stalls the winds will still be mostly dictated by daytime heating and slight cooling at night. With that light to moderate onshore winds each day driven by the sea breeze and light to moderate offshore winds each night driven by the land breeze. Storm coverage will start to increase Wednesday but look for storms to really ramp up by Thursday with widespread coverage by the weekend. Winds and waves will be locally higher near any storms along the increased threat for dangerous cloud to ground lightning.
- Tonight
- Southwest winds 5 to 10 knots, becoming north late this evening and overnight. Seas around 3 feet. A chance of thunderstorms. Showers likely, mainly this evening.
- Monday
- Northeast winds 10 to 15 knots. Seas 2 to 3 feet. A chance of showers and thunderstorms in the morning, then a chance of showers with a slight chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon.
- Monday Night
- Northeast winds 15 to 20 knots. Seas 2 to 3 feet. A chance of showers with a slight chance of thunderstorms.
Conditions change quickly and everything here is a forecast, not a guarantee. Make your own call about whether it is safe to go in or out, follow lifeguards and posted flags, and stay within your ability and your vessel’s. Emerald Coast Connected provides this information as a convenience only and accepts no liability for decisions made from it.
Imagery and data from NOAA, the National Weather Service, NASA GIBS and the EPA — all public domain. Refreshed about every ten minutes. Not a substitute for official warnings; in an emergency, follow local authorities.