Good morning, this is your surf zone forecast for the Florida Panhandle beaches brought to you by the National Weather Service in Tallahassee.

We're looking at one more day of moderate rip current risk before things get significantly more dangerous this weekend. A strong weather system is moving through Friday and Saturday, and while it clears out the clouds, it's going to leave some seriously rough water in its wake.

Let's start with today. If you're heading to South Walton beaches like Santa Rosa Beach or Turquoise Beach, expect mostly cloudy skies with showers likely and a slight chance of thunderstorms. The good news is temperatures will be in the mid-seventies with light northeast winds around ten miles per hour. The water is a pleasant seventy-six degrees, but we're maintaining that moderate rip current risk, so be cautious if you're planning a swim. Surf heights are minimal at around one foot, and the high tide at Panama City will occur at nine seventeen in the morning.

Down at Panama City Beach and Magnolia Beach in the Coastal Bay area, conditions are nearly identical. Same moderate rip current risk, same one-foot surf, same upper-seventies high temperature. The water here is slightly cooler at seventy-four degrees, and you'll notice the winds shift from northeast to southeast as the afternoon progresses.

Over on the Coastal Gulf near Saint Joe Beach, we're looking at a different story. The UV index is extreme, so sunscreen is absolutely essential. It'll be partly sunny with showers likely, and again, we have that moderate rip current risk across all beach orientations. The water is a warm seventy-six degrees, and surf will stay around one foot throughout the day.

And finally, for Apalachicola beaches in Coastal Franklin, conditions remain calm with moderate rip currents and one-foot surf. The water is the warmest we've seen today at seventy-eight degrees. There's a chance of showers and an extreme UV index, so protect that skin.

Now here's where things change dramatically. Saturday is when that post-frontal system really makes its presence known. Rip current risk escalates to high across all beaches. We're looking at higher surf, around two to three feet depending on location, with much stronger winds.

At South Walton, expect north winds gusting around twenty miles per hour and surf building to two feet. There will be showers and a chance of thunderstorms with temperatures dropping to around seventy degrees. This is going to be a dangerous day for swimming.

Panama City Beach sees breezy conditions with northeast winds twenty to twenty-five miles per hour. Again, high rip current risk and two-foot surf. The temperature drops to the lower seventies, and those showers and thunderstorms will persist.

The Coastal Gulf sees the most dramatic change, with west and south-facing beaches picking up three-foot surf. Winds will start from the southwest around twenty miles per hour before shifting north in the afternoon. High rip current ri

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