Good morning, this is your Tuesday surf zone forecast for the Northern Gulf Coast.
We're looking at a moderate rip current risk throughout the week that will kick up to high by Saturday as a low pressure system moves in from the west. Let's break down what's happening at your favorite beaches.
Starting with South Walton, including Sandestin, Santa Rosa Beach, and Turquoise Beach, expect mostly sunny skies today with surf heights around two feet and moderate rip currents. Southeast winds at ten miles per hour will keep conditions pleasant with highs in the mid seventies. Water temperature is a comfortable seventy five degrees, though fair warning, that UV index is very high, so slather on the sunscreen.
Wednesday looks similar with partly sunny skies, two foot surf, and those moderate rip currents sticking around. Winds will shift to the southwest at five to ten miles per hour as highs reach the upper seventies.
Thursday brings mostly cloudy skies and a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Surf stays around two feet with west winds at ten miles per hour. Friday continues the pattern with a chance of showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms, though conditions remain relatively calm before the weekend system arrives.
Now Saturday is when things get interesting. Rip current risk jumps to high as winds become breezy out of the west at twenty five miles per hour. Showers and thunderstorms move in, and surf heights start responding to that low pressure system.
Moving east to Panama City Beach and Magnolia Beach in the Coastal Bay area, today's conditions mirror South Walton with mostly sunny skies, two foot surf, and moderate rip currents. Southeast winds are a bit stronger here at fifteen miles per hour with highs in the upper seventies and water temperature at seventy four degrees. Wednesday turns partly sunny with southeast winds becoming southwest at fifteen miles per hour in the afternoon.
The same system brings showers and thunderstorms Thursday through Saturday, with that high rip current risk arriving Saturday when west winds gust to twenty five miles per hour.
Out at Saint Joe Beach and the Coastal Gulf area, we see some variation based on beach orientation. South facing beaches will have around two feet of surf today, while west facing beaches see just one foot or less. The state park beaches stay around one foot. All areas carry moderate rip current risk with southeast winds at fifteen miles per hour.
Wednesday sees those west facing beaches drop to around one foot while south facing beaches hover around one foot, but state park beaches rise to two feet. Thursday and Friday bring chances of showers with the same moderate rip current risk before Saturday's high risk arrives with southwest winds at twenty five miles per hour.
Finally, at Apalachicola in Coastal Franklin, we've got sunny skies today with two foot surf, moderate rip currents, and the warmest water temperature of the forecast at seventy seven degrees. Southeast wind
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.