Southerly winds and seas will increase tonight and Monday ahead of a cold front.

This front will bring scattered showers and thunderstorms Monday...then a wind shift to the west and northwest and fair weather as it passes Monday night.

Winds and seas will be rather low Tuesday through early Wednesday...then increase from the south to exercise cautions levels ahead of the next cold front.

Advisory conditions are likely Thursday into Friday behind this front.

Forecast as of 2:50 PM EST on December 16, 2012

Coastal Waters From Apalachicola To Destin Fl Out 20 Nm-
Waters From Apalachicola To Destin Fl From 20 To 60 Nm-

Tonight
South wind 10 to 15 knots. Seas 2 to 4 feet. Protected waters a light to moderate chop. A slight chance of showers through the night. Isolated thunderstorms possible mainly late. Patchy dense fog nearshore.

Monday
Southwest wind around 15 knots. Seas 3 to 5 feet. Protected waters a light to moderate chop. Winds and seas higher near scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms.

Monday Night
West wind around 15 knots. Seas 4 to 5 feet. Protected waters a light to moderate chop. A slight chance of rain in the evening.

Tuesday
Northwest wind 10 to 15 knots becoming 5 to 10 knots in the late morning. Seas 3 to 5 feet. Protected waters a light to moderate chop.

Tuesday Night
West wind 5 to 10 knots becoming southeast in the late evening. Seas 2 to 3 feet. Protected waters smooth.

Wednesday
Southeast wind 5 to 10 knots increasing to 10 to 15 knots in the late morning. Seas 1 to 2 feet. Protected waters smooth increasing to a light to moderate chop in the late morning. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon.

Wednesday Night
Southeast wind 10 to 15 knots becoming south 15 to 20 knots after midnight. Seas 3 to 4 feet. Protected waters a moderate chop increasing to choppy after midnight. A chance of showers and thunderstorms.

Thursday
Southwest wind 15 to 20 knots becoming west early in the afternoon...then becoming northwest 20 to 25 knots late in the afternoon. Seas 5 to 7 feet. Protected waters choppy increasing to rough late in the afternoon. A chance of showers and thunderstorms.

Thursday Night
Northwest wind 20 to 25 knots becoming north seas 6 to 9 feet. Protected waters rough. A slight chance of rain in the evening.

Friday
North wind around 20 knots becoming 10 to 15 knots. Seas 6 to 8 feet subsiding to 4 to 6 feet in the afternoon. Protected waters rough becoming a light to moderate chop.