Florida State Watch Office Morning Situation Report for Saturday. February 21, 2026

Florida Division of Emergency Management sent this bulletin at 02/21/2026 09:57 AM EST

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Florida State Watch Office Morning Situation Report

EOC Activation Level: Level 2 
Meteorological Summary:
  • Fog and low clouds along Gulf coastal zones will likely linger into the late morning hours and may persist into the early afternoon in some locations.
  • The primary weather headline today will be a frontal system triggering scattered showers and embedded thunderstorms across the Florida Panhandle (35-65% chance of rain).
  • A few thunderstorms may become strong to locally severe; the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has placed the Florida Panhandle under a Marginal Risk (Level 1 of 5) for Severe Weather for locally damaging wind gusts of 45-60 mph, occasional lightning, and isolated instances of hail.
  • While the greatest tornado potential appears to remain just north of the Florida state line across the Deep South, thunderstorms along and north of the I-10 corridor could still produce a brief, isolated tornado.
  • There is no organized risk for flash flooding; locally heavy downpours and rainfall rates possible within any stronger or more organized thunderstorm activity.
  • Rain chances will increase and gradually shift eastward through the evening and overnight hours (45-75% chance of rain); however, the severe weather threat will largely diminish after sunset. 
  • Afternoon highs will reach the upper 70s to lower 80s across North Florida; a few interior Florida Peninsula locations potentially eclipsing the 90-degree mark.
  • Mild conditions continue for one more night before a pattern change; low-level moisture ahead of the approaching shower and rain activity will support another night of patchy to locally dense fog and low clouds.
  • A moderate risk of rip currents can be expected along all Florida East Coast beaches, with a high risk of rip currents along the Florida Panhandle and Palm Beach County beaches. 
  • Long-term dry soils and vegetation will continue to promote locally sensitive to elevated wildfire conditions throughout the Florida Peninsula. 

 

To view the complete Morning Situation Report, please select the link below.

Morning Situation Report