Marine Weather and Tide Forecast for Fanning Springs, FL

SHORT TERM
(This Evening through Tuesday)
Issued at 159 PM EDT Mon Mar 16 2026

The cold front is quickly moving through the forecast area this afternoon. It brought several rounds of heavy rain, isolated/scattered damaging wind gusts and a few brief tornadoes across the region this morning and early afternoon. All tornado watches for our forecast area are now expired/cancelled.

For the rest of today, elevated 20 to 30 mph wind gusts will continue through the rest of the evening but they should begin to lax some through the overnight. Cold air will continue to rapidly filter into the region tonight with most locations seeing wind chills in the upper 20s by daybreak Tuesday morning. Air temperature wise, most locations in the Florida Big Bend should stay above freezing while locations across the Panhandle, southeast Alabama, and southwest Georgia drop to or just below freezing. Given the recent green up and warm temperatures we have continued the freeze warning for tonight.

For Tuesday, much cooler and drier conditions are expected with highs generally in the mid 50s. Surface high pressure will continue filtering into the region so expect breezy conditions to continue for one more day with northwest gusts around 15 mph.

LONG TERM
(Tuesday night through next Sunday)
Issued at 159 PM EDT Mon Mar 16 2026

Surface high pressure controls the pattern over the southeast US as a dry northwest upper level flow pattern prevails. This will generally lead to a quiet and benign pattern through the next week as temperatures gradually warm into early next week.

Main forecast concerns through the period will generally be Tuesday night into Thursday. For Tuesday night, main concerns will be another round of freezing temperatures as a more ideal radiational cooling pattern sets up. Low temperatures should bottom out in the upper 20s and low 30s so it's likely another freeze warning will be needed at some point. Additional concerns will likely be on the fire weather front given critically low relative humidities

AVIATION
(18Z TAFS)
Issued at 159 PM EDT Mon Mar 16 2026

Showers and thunderstorms will clear out of TLH and VLD later this afternoon with a strong cold front passage. A sharp northwest wind shift will follow the frontal passage. Post-frontal showers will trail for a few more hours. Skies will finally clear out later this evening.

MARINE
Issued at 159 PM EDT Mon Mar 16 2026

Occasional to frequent gale-force gusts are expected over waters west of Apalachicola, especially 20 to 60 nautical miles off the Emerald Coast this afternoon and evening as strong post-frontal winds move in. Frequent gusts to 30 or 35 knots are expected.
Advisory level winds and seas are expected elsewhere, including Saint Andrews Bay. Strong NW breezes persist into early Tuesday, then freshen out of the north into that afternoon. Moderate NE breezes overtake the waters on Wednesday.

FIRE WEATHER
Issued at 159 PM EDT Mon Mar 16 2026

A much cooler and drier airmass leads to critically low RH nearly areawide Tuesday and Wednesday, resulting in elevated fire concerns. However, cooler conditions and winds gradually lightening into the middle of the week should keep more significant fire concerns from developing. Rain chances are absent for the remainder of the forecast period.

HYDROLOGY
Issued at 159 PM EDT Mon Mar 16 2026

Widespread areas of 0.50 to 1.00 rainfall totals were observed on Monday with isolated locations picking up 2 to 3 inches of rainfall. These beneficial rains are very helpful for the current drought in place, but we're still a long way from relieving drought. No rainfall is expected through the next 5 to 7 days across the area and hydrology concerns will be minimal.

SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT

Spotter activation is not requested. However, spotters are always encouraged to safely report significant weather conditions when they occur by calling the office or tweeting us @NWSTallahassee.

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS
Tallahassee 35 55 32 62 / 0 0 0 0 Panama City 36 56 36 61 / 0 0 0 0 Dothan 31 52 31 60 / 0 0 0 0 Albany 31 53 30 58 / 0 0 0 0 Valdosta 34 55 31 62 / 0 0 0 0 Cross City 35 59 32 66 / 10 0 0 0 Apalachicola 38 56 39 60 / 0 0 0 0

TAE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
FL...Freeze Warning from 1 AM EDT /midnight CDT/ to 10 AM EDT /9 AM CDT/ Tuesday for FLZ007>013-016-326.

High Rip Current Risk through late tonight for FLZ108-112-114- 115.

GA...Freeze Warning from 1 AM to 10 AM EDT Tuesday for GAZ120>131- 142>148-155>158.

AL...Freeze Warning from midnight tonight to 9 AM CDT Tuesday for ALZ065>069.

GM...Small Craft Advisory until 8 AM EDT /7 AM CDT/ Tuesday for GMZ730-735-755-765-775.

Gale Warning until 7 AM CDT Tuesday for GMZ751-752-770-772.