Special Marine Warning Issued for Pensacola Bay and Coastal Florida Waters Through Sunday Morning
This alert is no longer in effect.
NOAA issued it on April 6, 2026, 4 months ago. Warnings of this kind stay in effect for hours to a few days, so this page is a historical record of what was issued, not a current warning. For conditions where you are right now, check weather.gov (US), weather.gc.ca (Canada), the Met Office (UK), or the Bureau of Meteorology (Australia).
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The National Weather Service has issued a Special Marine Warning for the Pensacola Bay area and coastal waters as a strong thunderstorm with 34-knot wind gusts moves through the region.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Special Marine Warning
- Affected area
- Florida Panhandle Coastal Waters
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Mobile AL
Marine notices apply to named waters or shoreline zones. They may not describe conditions on land, even when the nearest place name is the same.
Record status: historical. It was issued 4 months ago; use the issuing agency's live warning service for current conditions in Florida Panhandle Coastal Waters.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in Mobile, Alabama, has issued a Special Marine Warning for several coastal and inland waterways in the Florida Panhandle. The alert was issued at 6:15 AM CST and remains in effect until 7:45 AM CST.
Affected Areas
The warning covers the following geographic regions:
- Pensacola Bay Area, including Santa Rosa Sound
- Western Choctawhatchee Bay
- Coastal waters from the Okaloosa-Walton County Line to Pensacola, FL, extending out to 20 nautical miles
Specific locations impacted include Mary Esther, Navarre Beach, Fort Walton Beach, East Santa Rosa Sound, West Santa Rosa Sound, Pensacola Beach, Shalimar, Fort Walton Liberty Ship Reef, East Bay, and Okaloosa Pier.
What You Should Do
Mariners and residents in the affected areas are advised to avoid the water. Small craft could be damaged in briefly higher winds and suddenly higher waves. Boaters should seek safe harbor immediately until conditions improve.
Expected Conditions
At 6:15 AM CST, radar indicated a strong thunderstorm located near West Santa Rosa Sound, approximately 13 nautical miles east of Pensacola Pass. The storm is moving northeast at 35 knots. Hazards associated with this cell include wind gusts of 34 knots or greater. These conditions are expected to produce suddenly higher waves that pose a threat to small vessels.
Timeline
The Special Marine Warning is effective immediately as of 6:15 AM CST on February 15, 2026. The alert and the associated hazardous conditions are expected to last until 7:45 AM CST.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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