Saturday delivers the kind of beach weather Suncoast locals wait all year for: sunny skies, low 80s, and Gulf water running from 76 degrees at the northern beaches to a comfortable 80 at Siesta Key. Surf is minimal at a foot or less, which makes for easy wading and swimming. The one wrinkle is the wind, northeast at 15 to 20 mph, strong enough to send loose gear rolling down the sand. Bring a weighted base for your umbrella or skip it altogether.
Swimmers should know there’s a moderate rip current risk today. That doesn’t mean stay out of the water, but it does mean swimming near lifeguard towers and keeping a close watch on kids and weaker swimmers. Conditions like these are exactly why lifeguard coverage matters along our beaches.
Boaters face a tougher stretch. Small Craft Advisories run from Saturday through Wednesday evening, with northeast winds of 20 to 25 knots making bay and inland waters rough. Sunday afternoon could bring gale-force gusts, so small boat owners should plan to stay docked and let this windy, mainly dry pattern pass. Are you planning a beach day or a dock day this weekend?
